Light Heavyweight Landscape: What’s Next After Beterbiev vs. Bivol?

Russians Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will go to battle on June 1 as the pair face each other in a historic battle, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The bout will have both light heavyweight champions finally meeting each other for the four undisputed titles in a fight many fight fans have only fantasized about seeing.

Beterbiev will step into the fight as a champion of WBC, IBF, and WBO, while Bivol will be a WBA holder. However, all belts will be in contention as the victor seeks to be crowned the number one in the light heavyweight division. 

What Should We Expect to Happen in Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol?

Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol

Both boxers will be going into the bout with unbeaten records, adding to the excitement of this fight.

Beterbiev has gone 20-0 in his career, notching each win by stoppage. The Canadian-based fighter has been extremely dangerous in the ring with this power, and Bivol will need to watch out for it when they decide to share blows.

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Bivol has proved that he can manage his adversaries in the boxing ring with more than enough effectiveness. He has a record of 22-0, but the majority of those victories were based on decisions, where he outpointed his opponent. Only seven of his wins have been knockouts or TKOs.

Interestingly, according to the bookmakers, this hasn’t impacted his chances of winning. Unibet’s current boxing odds have the 33-year-old as the favourite to win the contest, giving him a price of -115, although Beterbiev’s odds aren’t far behind at -106. Perhaps the bookmakers are thinking about Bivol’s youth and how that may be advantageous to him in the Riyadh heat.

Where Do We Go Following This Bout?

Of course, while the light heavyweight division looks set for the coming months, it will be interesting to see what happens following the conclusion of Beterbiev vs Bivol.

While the loser will undoubtedly look to exercise their rematch clause as soon as they can to try and capture their titles back, it seems there are already others in the division touted as potential future challengers.

One of those is David Benavidez, with Saudi Arabia already making their stance and how keen they are for it to happen publicly. Of course, it’s no surprise that Benavidez has been targeted – as the 27-year-old continues to showcase his skills in the ring. He is undefeated, having amassed a record that reads 28-0, beating top opponents. Of the 28 wins he has, 24 of them have been via knockout.

Read More: ‘His Feet Are Very Very Good’: Eddie Hearn Speaks on Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol

However, whether he will be the next contender for the light heavyweight titles remains to be seen, as it’s clear that his focus is currently elsewhere, according to his manager and promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz. Benavidez is likely to test himself against a former light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, on June 15.

They want a fight against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and want to pencil something in for September in Las Vegas. Alvarez is currently focused on a fight against fellow Mexican Jaime Munguia, who is looking to go for the undisputed super middleweight title on May 4.

It has been rumoured that Alvarez would want $150 million to fight Benavidez, although Lewkowicz has stated that his client would only want a $5 million pot.

Plenty of Talk but It’s Time for Action

There will always be plenty of talk about what might happen and what could be in store for the eventual winner of Beterbiev vs. Bivol.

However, many different factors and scenarios need to be considered and played out, which can make trying to determine or predict what might happen a little more challenging than it needs to be.

It’s perhaps best to focus 100% on the upcoming bout between the two Russians and then see what potential storylines happen once that has been concluded. Benavidez looks like a potential fight opponent for either of these pugilists shortly, but who knows what might happen, especially as we have to consider what might happen to the 27-year-old in his professional career.