Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol: Free boxing tips, best bets, undercard and where to watch

A fight that has been years in the making is finally taking place this weekend as the 2024 Riyadh Season presents Beterbiev vs Bivol.

The two unbeaten light heavyweights have been on a collision course since turning professional and have established themselves as the clear standouts in this weight class.

As is typically the case in boxing, politics and injuries have ensured this fight is happening later than purists would have wanted.

However, the immense resources possessed by Turki Alalshikh (Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority) got the lucrative deal over the line, bringing another undisputed fight to Saudi Arabia after heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury in May 2024.

This upcoming fight has long been deemed the best to make in boxing. Beterbiev (20-0 with 20 knockouts) has frightening punch power and a perfect knockout rate. Bivol (23-0 with 12 knockouts) meanwhile is more renowned for his boxing prowess and this clash of styles should make for a thrilling contest.

Below, we will provide our fight prediction and suggested bets, plus the verdict of several boxing pundits and tipsters.

Good luck and please gamble responsibly. (Please be aware odds are subject to change after the article's last update).

 

Terence Crawford

“I think the best man’s gonna win. The one that executes their game plan the best will win in that fight,” Crawford said on Instagram.

“If I had to pick one I’d pick Bivol because of his boxing skills, his movement, and just his will to keep a fighter at the distance that he needs. I think that’s one thing that’s gonna carry him to victory.

“Beterbiev, he’s strong, he's gonna be coming to fight, but I think Bivol’s jab is gonna stop all that forcefully coming straight forward.”

Verdict: Dmitry Bivol to win on points

 

Teddy Atlas (Mike Tyson’s former trainer)

“He’s slowing down. He’s cutting up easier. He’s 38 years old with 300 amateur fights. A lot of tough fights in the pros. He’s ageing, nobody beats Father Time,” Atlas said on his The Fight podcast.

“I never will rule out Beterbiev, he’s got power, he’s got character and pride, but, yeah, I got Bivol a solid favourite. 

“I think there’s a good chance he stops him late in the fight, either by cuts or by just an endless barrage of punches. Beterbiev is not a defensive wizard, where the referee would probably have to stop it, or his corner would have to stop it.”

Verdict: Dmitry Bivol to win via stoppage

 

Roy Jones Jr

“Beterbiev is a good puncher, but I don't know if he takes a good punch because he's been down three or four times in nearly twenty fights,” Jones Jr said on talkSPORT.

“If you've been down that much in twenty fights, there's a problem there. I really think Bivol has the advantage and I'll go with him."

Verdict: Dmitry Bivol to win

 

Shane McGuigan (trainer)

“I just think Beterbiev is in better form. Bivol looked really, really good when he boxed Canelo and he’s been inactive a little bit and didn’t look good in his last one,” McGuigan told Boxing News.

“Beterbiev looked a little bit flat and fragile just before he boxed Callum Johnson and then Johnson dropped him. Around that time he wasn’t looking his best.

“Now he’s come into his own. People might say the Anthony Yarde fight was a competitive fight, it wasn’t really. He took his foot off the gas, fought in bursts and was very within himself that night. And then Callum Smith… Callum’s a very good fighter so to do that to Callum Smith… he’s [Beterbiev] in great form.”

Verdict: Artur Beterviev to win

 

Paul Smith

“I can’t see past Beterbiev,” Smith said in an interview with Boxing News.

“Bivol’s quality. He’s really, really good. Having seen Beterbiev up close a couple of times, I side with Beterbiev.

“I think he’ll eventually get to him, but it’s not a foregone conclusion by any stretch.”

Verdict: Artur Beterbiev to win via stoppage

 

Ariel Helwani

“Bivol has been active. He fought, I know, lesser competition, but he hasn’t had to [come back from injury],” he told DAZN.

 “And I think that Bivol is the better boxer. Beterbiev is the better puncher, the harder puncher, but Bivol’s the better boxer. And so for that reason, I favour Bivol.”

Verdict: Dmitry Bivol to win

 

George Flood (The Evening Standard)

“This is such a difficult fight to predict as the technical brilliance of Bivol meets the awesome knockout power of Beterbiev,” he said.

“Bivol is an absolute master of his craft, but he can sometimes leave you wanting more as he dominates fights but typically does not overly exert himself in search of a KO, with that stoppage of the fearless but ultimately overmatched Zinad in June his first since early 2018.

“He will surely not have that luxury against the ferocious and unrelenting Beterbiev, who will look to make his power felt from the outset and stop his opponent from developing into his usual rhythm.

“It is a truly fascinating clash that you feel will go Bivol’s way if it lasts the full 12 rounds, though it’s also not hard to see a stoppage if Beterbiev manages to connect with one of those huge power shots.”

Verdict: Dmitry Bivol to win on points

 

Ricardo Viagem (Sportskeeda)

“Beterviev systematically breaks his opponent down, punishing the body and rocking them with even glancing blows. Moreover, he has a sharp eye for openings, catching his foe with stunning counterpunches as he backs them up, he said.

“Bivol, on the other hand, moves in and out, boxing at range. He has exceptional lateral movement, a crisp jab, and quick feet, such that even Canelo Alvarez looked poor against him. That being said, he lacks the power to earn Beterviev’s respect.

“The first few rounds will be cagey, with Beterbiev realising Bivol can’t hurt him and will subsequently commit to walking him down”.

Verdict: Artur Beterbiev to win via late stoppage

 

Lewis Oldham (Planet Sport)

A sensational 50/50 fight makes you regularly switch your prediction, and this is the case with Beterviev vs Bivol.

You can easily make a strong case for each man. Beterbiev (39) is arguably the most destructive puncher in boxing and his frightening power could lead him to march down Bivol (33) en route to a convincing stoppage victory.

While Beterbiev is a better boxer than most give him credit for, Bivol’s footwork and general IQ are at another level. Also, he’s a much younger man and has been less affected by injuries in recent years.

Beterbiev has generally fought higher-calibre opponents, but Bivol’s win over Canelo Alvarez is better than any victory on either fighter’s résumé.

Bivol schooled Canelo and made the Mexican look pretty average at times, but he’s unlikely to do the same with Beterbiev as his power is this fight’s pivotal equaliser.

Bivol is a superb boxer, but does he have the required punch power to keep Beterviev at bay? I don’t think so. I reckon the older man will catch his fellow unbeaten rival with a lethal counterpunch to take centre ring before earning a stoppage win between rounds 7-9.

 

Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol tips in full

Dmitry Bivol to win on points

Dmitry Bivol to win via stoppage

Artur Beterbiev to win on points

Artur Beterbiev to win via stoppage

Artur Beterbiev to win in rounds 7-9

 

Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol undercard

As we’ve become accustomed to boxing cards in Riyadh, an exciting undercard precedes a brilliant main event.

We’ve seen better undercards in Saudi Arabia than this one, but there are a couple of eye-catching bouts pre-Beterviev vs Bivol. The pick of the bunch is the eagerly anticipated rematch between Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke for the British heavyweight title.

The last meeting between the two Brits was a legitimate fight of the year contender and more of the same is expected after their first bout ended in a controversial draw.

Also on the undercard, Chris Eubank Jr returns to the ring as he has a gimme against Kamil Szeremeta as he gets rounds in the tank before he presumably fights Conor Benn next year.

Other notable bouts include IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia against Jack Massey, headline-grabbing Ben Whittakker in a ten-round light heavyweight contest against Liam Cameron and the first-ever women’s fight in Saudi Arabia pits WBC featherweight champion Skye Nicolson against Raven Chapman.

 

Undercard tips

Fabio Wardley to win rounds 7-9: 5/1

Frazer Clarke to win on points: 4/1

Chris Eubank Jr to win on points: 2/1

 

Where to watch Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol?

The full Beterbiev vs Bivol card will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN pay-per-view. This event is also being shown in the UK on Sky Sports Box Office and TNT Sports Box Office.

The main undercard is scheduled to get underway at 5:00pm in the UK and 12:00pm ET. As for the main event, the ring walks for Beterbiev vs Bivol are pencilled in for 11:15pm UK and 6:15pm ET.