Artur Beterbiev will be different in Dmity Bivol’s rematch as he aims for a knockout, says promoter Bob Arum | Boxing news
A different Artur Beterbiev will look for a knockout in his rematch with Dmitri Bivol, according to promoter Bob Arum.
In their undisputed world light heavyweight title fight in October, Beterbiev won by a controversial majority decision.
But he’ll go straight into a February 22 rematch with Bivolo, putting all four major 175lb world title belts back on the line.
“When Beterbiev was offered a rematch, he didn’t hesitate to accept it. I guess it’s the same for Bivol,” said Top Rank founder and CEO Arum Sky Sports.
“There was a bit of a debate, it was a very close fight. I thought Beterbiev won that fight,” he continued. “So I think it will be a very good fight.
“I thought Beterbiev was too cautious in the first fight until the later rounds. I think this fight will be different.”
Bivol became the first professional opponent to go the distance with Beterbiev. However, this will encourage the champion to rematch.
“The only way he’s won every fight he’s fought is by knockout, and he didn’t win that fight by knockout. So obviously he’d like to win by knockout and he almost got a guy in the last few rounds,” Arum said.
Top Rank president Todd DuBoef is also confident that Beterbiev doesn’t want to leave any doubt in this second fight.
“He’s never had a decision except for the last fight, I think he makes a decision every time,” DuBoef said Sky Sports.
“I felt that his leadership in the ring and dominating and applying pressure and getting the fight was a big win for him. And I felt that you could see Bivolo’s body language late in the fight as that pressure came and came.
“The question is, does Artur start early? Can it start in the first round?
“I think it started maybe more like three or four, where he really started coming. But it started in the first round.
“I think that fight lasted two more rounds, I don’t think Bivol would have left the ring. Maybe he learned from it, so we’ll see.”
