Philippines, 01 Mar 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:

  • Paras stops Abcede in 2nd round
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 01 Mar 2026
  • Undefeated Welterweight Ruben Aguilar Stops Luis Lopez in Eight Brutal Rounds in Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’ at University of Texas in Arlington
    , Sun, 01 Mar 2026
  • Patricio, Brownlee and Awinongya Enter Medal Rounds on Day Five of Strandja 2026 Boxing Tournament
    , Sun, 01 Mar 2026
  • Matthew James Sugatan wins Flash-ADV 160 9-Ball Tournament at Pacman's Cue Club; pockets P30,000
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 01 Mar 2026
  • IM Arca finishes in eight place in Pacquiao chess; NM Ilar pockets P100,000
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 01 Mar 2026
  • DC Half Marathon on March 8 at Freedom Park
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 01 Mar 2026
  • Athletics Festival Season 4 on March 21-22
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 01 Mar 2026
  • Nuñez vs Navarrete: Knuckle Up for a Certified Banger
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 28 Feb 2026
  • ‘There's no way I'm going to lose’ -- Holly McMath looks to make a statement in high-stakes trilogy fight
    , Sat, 28 Feb 2026
  • WEIGHTS, RUNNING ORDER AND FINAL WORDS FOR NAVARRETE VS. NUNEZ
    , Sat, 28 Feb 2026
  • WEIGH-IN RESULTS FOR MANNY PACQUIAO PROMOTIONS: PIERCE VS. PARRA
    , Sat, 28 Feb 2026
  • Former US President Obama will donate Ali gloves to his presidential library
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 28 Feb 2026
  • Almacen Brothers Make Weight, Ready for Battle in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 27 Feb 2026
  • Four United States Women's Boxers Shine Bright on Day Four of Strandja 2026 Boxing Tournament
    , Fri, 27 Feb 2026
  • Matthew James Sugatan wins Flash-ADV 160 9-Ball Tournament at Pacman's Cue Club; pockets P30,000
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 27 Feb 2026
  • Weights From ProBoxTV’s ‘Vazquez vs. Machuca’ at College Park Center in the University of Texas
    , Fri, 27 Feb 2026
  • Ethan Matthew Gabriel tops Boscolympics 2026 Grade School chess meet
    , Fri, 27 Feb 2026
  • Boxing Legend & Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. Confirmed for Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Cinco De Mayo Weekend, Saturday May 2, in Las Vegas
    , Fri, 27 Feb 2026
  • IM Christian Gian Karlo Tade - Arca outwits GM Pa Iniyan in Round 6 of the Manny Pacquiao International Open chess
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 26 Feb 2026
  • San Francisco Boxing Leaders Bring It Back: FIGHT NIGHT AT ROCCAPULCO
    , Thu, 26 Feb 2026
  • Alyssa Mendoza, Salim Ellis-Bey and Kelvin Watts Secure Wins on Day Three of 2026 Strandja Boxing Tournament
    , Thu, 26 Feb 2026
  • Herlan Gomez faces Dekang Wang for WBA Asia Superbamtam Title Today in Kunming, China
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 26 Feb 2026
  • Queensberry Promotions to sue SELA and TKO?
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Thu, 26 Feb 2026
  • IBA President Umar Kremlev promises prize money for boxers at LA 2028 if the IOC doesn’t change their policy towards athletes’ rewards
    , Thu, 26 Feb 2026
  • Ruben Castillo, The uncrowned champion passes away
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Thu, 26 Feb 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.