Philippines, 26 Apr 2026
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Press Conference Notes: Artur Beterbiev & Dmitry Bivol Set to Battle for Light Heavyweight Supremacy

PhilBoxing.com





Special one-fight presentation streaming LIVE on ESPN+ SATURDAY at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Oct. 10, 2024) — The two greatest light heavyweights of this generation — WBC/IBF/WBO champion Artur Beterbiev and WBA king Dmitry Bivol — will meet in a legacy-defining battle for the undisputed championship on Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The winner will become the division's first undisputed ruler of the modern era and the first since Roy Jones Jr. defeated Reggie Johnson in 1999.

Beterbiev-Bivol will be a special one-fight presentation streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs), boxing's only world champion with a 100 percent knockout ratio, won the IBF world title in 2017 and has made eight title defenses. In June 2022, he stopped Joe Smith Jr. in the second round to add the WBO title to his collection. Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) has made 12 defenses of the WBA belt, including a convincing decision over Canelo in May 2022. Since the Canelo triumph, Bivol has notched one-sided victories over Gilberto Ramirez, Lyndon Arthur, and Malik Zinad.

This is what the fighters had to say at Thursday's press conference.

Artur Beterbiev

“They chose me. His Excellency chose me. So, let’s do it.”

"It’s not my business {to think about other fighters}. I have a fight this Saturday. I’m only focused on this fight.”

“I want a good fight. I’m preparing for a good fight. We’ll see.”

“Be ready, Dmitry. I will be ready.”

Dmitry Bivol

“Every time I think about my opponents, I get excited. One of them is the face of boxing. It was exciting to fight against this guy. Another one had around 50 fights and never lost. Another guy was a champion. So it makes me more excited, not nervous. And Artur is a great champion. He has what I want. He has the belts. And it's not only about belts. When I look at his skills, I want to check my skills also against this amazing fighter.”

“In my training camp, in my head, I always try to visualize how it will go. And there are a lot of different scenarios. And usually, that fighter will be more calm when he realizes that he's ready for everything. If he trains for some things in his training camp, and this happens in the ring, he's more confident in those situations. And, of course, against Beterbiev, we had to do a great camp. We had to think about different scenarios, and we did. And now I'm just curious how it will be in the ring.”

Saturday, October 12

LIVE on ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT)

Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol, 12 Rounds, Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship

Referee: Thomas Taylor (USA)
Judges: Glenn Feldman (USA), Pawel Kardyni (Poland), and Manuel Oliver Palomo (Spain)




Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Simona Winkler, Salim Ellis-Bey and Noelle Haro Advance to Medal Rounds At 2026 World Boxing Cup – Stage 1
    , Sun, 26 Apr 2026
  • Sanman 100 Official Weigh-In Results from General Santos
    , Sat, 25 Apr 2026
  • Subkhankulov stops Usmonov, Agrba wins hard test, and Aminova claims WBA Asia title at IBA.PRO 17 in Ufa
    , Sat, 25 Apr 2026
  • Pero vs Miller: Heavies Collide in Prove it fight on DAZN
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 25 Apr 2026
  • Subkhankulov Stops Usmonov in Russia, Claims IBF No. 2 Spot at Lightweight
    , Sat, 25 Apr 2026
  • Yeow Ming to fight in Bangkok for ABF title
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 25 Apr 2026
  • MILLER VS. PERO - WEIGHTS AND RUNNING ORDER AHEAD OF TOMORROW NIGHT’S ACTION
    , Sat, 25 Apr 2026
  • IBA Pro Champions Night to feature world champions in Saint Petersburg
    , Sat, 25 Apr 2026
  • Noelle Haro and Marie Rosendo Advance to Quarterfinals with Wins on Day Four of 2026 World Boxing Cup – Stage 1
    , Sat, 25 Apr 2026
  • Bautista to face Dulayba at Okada on April 30
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 25 Apr 2026
  • LAS VEGAS FIGHT WEEK: PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES AS MILLER AND PERO COLLIDE IN WBA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE ELIMINATOR – LIVE ON DAZN
    , Fri, 24 Apr 2026
  • Undefeated Knockout Artist Amari “The Reaper” Jones Headlines First-Ever DAZN Card Against Former World Champion Vincenzo “Il Capo” Gualtieri
    , Fri, 24 Apr 2026
  • Mexican female stars Mayelli Flores and Irma ¨Torbellino¨ Garcia sign with MVP
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Fri, 24 Apr 2026
  • Basil to fight Britanico on April 26 in Delpan
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 24 Apr 2026
  • Race briefing of Mt. Apo Boulder Face on April 24
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 24 Apr 2026
  • Into fights for IBA championship on April 24
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 24 Apr 2026
  • Camigue fights in Tanzania on April 24
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 24 Apr 2026
  • Team USA Captures Three More Wins on Day Three at World Boxing Cup – Stage 1
    , Fri, 24 Apr 2026
  • 1,400 runners in Sagisag Davao Leg
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 24 Apr 2026
  • The Marvelous Cup Invitational tourney set
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 24 Apr 2026
  • Junior Middleweights Currently The Hottest Division In Boxing!
    By Ralph Rimpell, , Thu, 23 Apr 2026
  • All Star Boxing Announces 'Clash of the Unbeaten' on May 22nd In Panama
    , Thu, 23 Apr 2026
  • Oliver Laroya Chess Tournament on April 25
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 23 Apr 2026
  • Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Undefeated Rising Prospect Robert Guerrero Jr. to Appear at 3rd Annual Battle of the Trades on April 25
    , Thu, 23 Apr 2026
  • WBC WORLD CHAMPION DALTON SMITH SIGNS NEW LONG-TERM CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH EDDIE HEARN’S MATCHROOM BOXING
    , Thu, 23 Apr 2026




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2026 philboxing.com.