On Saturday, the sunshine heavyweight division will crown an undisputed champion for the primary time in 25 years.

The division’s two greatest fighters, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will struggle for all of the belts in a scintillating conflict of kinds that pits one in all boxing’s greatest defensive fighters in Bivol in opposition to one of many sport’s hardest punchers in Beterbiev.

The struggle has lengthy been marinating and followers had been made to attend an extra 4 months after Beterbiev ruptured his meniscus, which delayed the bout from its authentic June date. Bivol fought in June, scoring his first knockout win since 2018, whereas Beterbiev final fought in January, knocking out prime contender Callum Smith.

Keep tuned beneath for reside updates all through the Beterbiev vs. Bivol struggle card.

Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev struggle card outcomes

• In progress: Skye Nicolson (11-0, 1 KO) vs. Raven Chapman (9-0, 2 KOs); WBC featherweight title
• Ben Whittaker vs. Liam Camerom – break up determination draw
• Mohammed Alakel def. Jesus Gonzalez by unanimous determination
• Marco Maric def. Christian Flores by unanimous determination

Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev struggle card reside updates

Skye Nicolson vs Raven Chapman: Spherical 9

The penultimate spherical of the struggle and Chapman will want a knockout to win, which does not look doubtless given how defensively accountable Nicolson has been immediately. Nicolson catches Chapman with two good left palms on the counter halfway by means of the spherical as Chapman makes an attempt to get inside. Chapman extra aggressive in her strain this spherical, however that is opening up alternatives on the counter for Nicolson.

Skye Nicolson vs Raven Chapman: Spherical 8

Chapman catches Nicolson with an overhand left, adopted by a proper hand, however then she’s proper again to chasing after Nicolson. Nicolson landed just a few robust pictures on the counter late on and as soon as once more managed the spherical, nevertheless it was higher from Chapman.

Skye Nicolson vs Raven Chapman: Spherical 7

Nicolson catches Chapman with a clear left hand early within the spherical, arrange by her southpaw jab. Chapman can not seem to keep away from the jab of Nicolson as she tries to push inside. Nicolson cruising at this level; Chapman must enhance the urgency to have any likelihood of successful.

Skye Nicolson vs Raven Chapman: Spherical 6

Nicolson preserving the jab lively, serving to to open up pictures to Chapman’s physique. Nicolson smiling within the ring, as she has all through the struggle, whereas Chapman can not seem to get inside these previous couple rounds. Nicolson doing very effectively to quell the strain with motion and her jab on this struggle.

Skye Nicolson vs Raven Chapman: Spherical 5

Nicolson counterpunching effectively on the backfoot, selecting her spots and touchdown just a few fast pictures within the first half of the spherical. A number of posturing and motion with out a lot offensive output on this one. Chapman struggled to get inside that spherical, however did land a pair stable punches.

Skye Nicolson vs Raven Chapman: Spherical 4

Nicolson’s footwork has been nice this struggle, serving to her evade the strain of Chapman. On the again foot Nicolson is ready for a gap and throwing fast, single pictures, touchdown typically. Chapman landed a pair punches on the within late, however Nicolson managed the spherical.

Skye Nicolson vs Raven Chapman: Spherical 3

Nicolson has landed eight punches to Chapman’s 4, by means of two rounds. Nicolson catches Chapman with a powerful shot as she rushes inside, first massive punch she’s had tonight. Nicolson rising in confidence, bouncing across the ring and selecting her spots to launch a fast shot. Nicolson landed usually that spherical and appears to be discovering a rhythm.

Skye Nicolson vs Raven Chapman: Spherical 2

A number of head motion from Chapman, making an attempt to mitigate the jab of Nicolson. Nicolson being compelled again by the strain of Chapman, who’s not touchdown a lot however is preserving Nicolson on the again foot. Not a lot output from both fighter once more that spherical. Nicolson seemed in management, however higher pictures got here from Chapman.

It is a historical past making struggle, being the primary ladies’s boxing match to happen in Saudi Arabia. Nicolson is defending her WBC title for the second time. Chapman aggressive to start out whereas Nicolson is cautious in her protection. Nicolson’s protection was stable to keep away from the strain of Chapman, however not a lot offense coming again.

Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron draw after damage ends struggle early

Ben Whittaker was wheeled out of the sector after a leg damage compelled an early stoppage to his bout with Liam Cameron, that finally went to the scorecards and was scored a draw. The judges’ scorecards after 5 rounds had been 58-57 for Cameron, 58-57 for Whittaker and a 58-58 draw.

On the finish of spherical 5, Cameron and Whittaker had been in a clinch when Cameron pushed ahead, backing Whittaker into the ropes. Whittaker then fell backwards over the ropes and out of the ring, with Cameron falling over the ropes on prime of him. Whittaker suffered a proper leg damage within the fall that left him sprawled out within the ring, though announcers on the printed questioned the damage with Whittaker starting to wrestle within the bout.

As a result of unintended damage the struggle was stopped and went to the scorecards. Whittaker had began robust, however was fading as Cameron started to more and more land robust pictures into the center rounds. Whittaker obtained away from the motion that led to his success within the early rounds and traded inside, which Cameron took benefit of. A rematch appears doubtless given the shut nature of the struggle and the weird circumstances that ended it.

Ben Whittaker vs Liam Cameron: Spherical 6

Each fighters flipped over the ropes on the finish of Spherical 5 and Whittaker seemingly suffered a proper leg damage within the course of. His shoe is off within the ring as medical doctors have a look at him and now his gloves are being taken off. The struggle will probably be known as and goes to the scorecards by means of 5 rounds. Cameron will definitely have a powerful shot handy Whittaker his first loss after 5 arduous fought rounds. Whittaker is now being taken out of the ring in a wheelchair, earlier than the scorecards have been learn. End result will probably be posted above as introduced and additional updates to return.

Ben Whittaker vs Liam Cameron: Spherical 5

Cameron’s attain helps him to get round Whittaker’s guard at shut vary and land to the physique. Whittaker going to work on the within, however Cameron countering with some arduous pictures. Whittaker is warned by the referee for low blows inside the ultimate minute. Cameron finishes the spherical with a pair arduous proper palms. They clinch up because the bell rings and each fighters fall backwards over the ropes and out of the ring. Cameron was pushing ahead whereas clinched and Whittaker fell again in opposition to the ropes and out of the ring, taking Cameron with him.

Ben Whittaker vs Liam Cameron: Spherical 4

Whittaker planting his ft and buying and selling for probably the most half, a technique which appears to favor Cameron. He is touchdown on the within however taking injury again from Cameron, who appears snug utilizing his attain benefit at shut vary. Extra output coming from Whittaker however about equal injury being dealt between the 2.

Ben Whittaker vs Liam Cameron: Spherical 3

Whittaker catches Cameron with a powerful counter proper hand inside 30 seconds that appeared to buzz him. Cameron touchdown some good punches on the within, discovering success focusing on the physique of Whittaker. Whittaker has moved across the ring much less this spherical, opting to face and commerce. He is touchdown loads of pictures however Cameron has caught him greater than as soon as.

Ben Whittaker vs Liam Cameron: Spherical 2

Whittaker having success with the jab early within the spherical. Cameron has a second inside two minutes, touchdown a handful of pictures as Whittaker stands within the heart of the ring and permits strain. Whittaker utilizing his legs to spin out of hazard and unload punches, however Cameron has responded with just a few arduous pictures this spherical.

Ben Whittaker vs Liam Cameron: Spherical 1

Whittaker transferring out and in, avoiding the strain of Cameron as he picks his spots to unload fast combos. Cameron not throwing a ton of pictures, however appears to have some energy on those he does throw, which Whittaker is cautious of. Good begin for Whittaker, he totally outlanded Cameron.

Methods to watch Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev struggle?

The Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol essential occasion struggle will stream exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States, while the undercard will be streaming separately on DAZN pay-per-view for $19.99, a late change after the undercard was originally set to be free for all DAZN subscribers.

Watch Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol on ESPN+

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Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev fight time, date, ring walks

This weekend’s Riyadh Season fight card, headlined by Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol, will begin at 11 a.m. (CT) on DAZN. The main event ring walks on ESPN+ are expected at approximately 5 p.m. (CT).

• Fight card start: 11 a.m. CT
• Beterbiev vs. Bivol ring walks: approx. 5 p.m. CT

Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev full fight card

The Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight undercard will be streamed separately on DAZN and features a pair of world title fights along with some of the biggest names in British boxing.

• Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) vs. Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs); WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF light heavyweight titles
• Fabio Wardley (17-0-1, 16 KOs) vs. Frazier Clarke (8-0-1, 6 KOs)
• Jai Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) vs. Jack Massey (22-2, 12 KOs); IBF cruiserweight title
• Chris Eubank Jr. (33-3, 24 KOs) vs. Kamil Szeremeta (25-2-2, 8 KOs)
• Skye Nicolson (11-0, 1 KO) vs. Raven Chapman (9-0, 2 KOs); WBC featherweight title
• Ben Whittaker (8-0, 5 KOs) vs. Liam Cameron (23-6, 10 KOs)
• Mohammed Alakel (debut) vs. Jesus Gonzalez (3-2)

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Where is the Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev fight location?

Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol’s undisputed light heavyweight title fight will take place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Bivol’s last two fights both took place at Kingdom Arena, while Beterbiev has never fought in Saudi Arabia.

• Location: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev fight odds

Being two of the best fighters on the planet, the oddsmakers don’t see much separating Beterbiev and Bivol. Bivol is just favored to win at -125 on BetMGM, while Beterbiev is +110 to win the bout.

• Beterbiev by KO/TKO: +160
• Beterbiev by decision: +650
• Bivol by KO/TKO: +550
• Bivol by decision: +125

Odds via BetMGM, as of Oct. 10

Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev fight predictions

This fight is about as 50-50 as they come. It’s, in my opinion, the best fight that can currently be made in boxing due to the pedigree of each fighter along with their intriguing stylistic differences.

Bivol’s best shot at winning is to do what he does best, which is box. He’ll want to avoid letting Beterbiev inside at all costs and his best punch, the jab, will surely be working overtime. Beterbiev isn’t a one-dimensional fighter though and can certainly find success from the midrange, but ultimately Bivol will have the advantage when fighting from range.

Beterbiev will likely spend a fair share of the fight boxing from the midrange, but he’ll pose a major threat stepping inside and unloading his vicious power punches. Beterbiev will have his chances to inflict damage. How few and far between those chances come could determine the fight.

Predictions: Beterbiev def. Bivol by TKO-11; Chris Eubank def. Kamil Szeremeta by KO-6; Fabio Wardley def. Frazier Clarke by SD; Jai Opetaia def. Jack Massey by UD;

Dmitry Bivol fight record

Dmitry Bivol is 23-0 with 12 wins by knockout.

Bivol was elevated to full WBA champion in 2017 after having previously held the interim title since 2016. Bivol has defended his title 12 times, most notably against Canelo Alvarez in 2022, handing Alavrez his second career loss.

Bivol is ranked No. 2 at light heavyweight and No. 7 pound-for-pound by The Ring, while he’s ranked No. 1 at light heavyweight and No. 4 pound-for-pound by ESPN.

Dmitry Bivol age, height, weight class

Dmitry Bivol is 33 years old and stands at 6-foot with a 72-inch reach.

Bivol has fought at light heavyweight his entire career, which has a maximum weight limit of 175 pounds. Bivol weighed in at exactly 175 pounds in his last fight and typically weighs in just below the divisional limit.

Artur Beterbiev fight record

Artur Beterbiev is 20-0 with 20 wins by knockout.

Beterbiev first won the IBF light heavyweight in 2017 over Enrico Koelling and went on to unify it with the WBC title with a win over Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 2019. Beterbiev then collected the WBO belt in 2022 with a win over Joe Smith Jr. and has defended his unified titles three times.

Beterbiev is ranked No. 1 at light heavyweight and No. 6 pound-for-pound by The Ring. He’s ranked No. 2 at light heavyweight and No. 6 pound-for-pound by ESPN.

Artur Beterbiev age, height, weight class

Artur Beterbiev is 39 years old and stands at 5-foot-11 with a 73-inch reach.

Like Bivol, Beterbiev has spent his entire career at light heavyweight and has weighed in right at the division’s 175-pound limit in three of his last four fights.

Dmitry Bivol stats

Dmitry Bivol is a technical boxer with elite defense, both traits that show in his statistics.

Bivol has the third best plus/minus in boxing with +17.8, meaning he lands 17.8 more shots on his opponents, than he gets hit with. Bivol works his offense behind his jab, which he lands 8.8 times per round, more than any other fighter. He’s seventh among active boxers in jab connect percentage, landing 24.9% of his jabs.

In terms of defense, Bivol’s opponents land just six punches per round, third fewest in the sport, while his opponents land those shots at a 13% rate, the lowest opponent connect percentage in all of boxing.

Stats via Compubox

Artur Beterbiev stats

Beterbiev has a plus/minus of +10.4 and lands 19.4 punches per round at a 31.8% rate. Despite being one of the sport’s most destructive punchers, Beterbiev only lands 13 power punches per round, connecting at a 38.1% rate.

While at times Beterbiev has taken damage in fights, his opponents land just 8.7 punches per round, connecting on 21.4% of their total punches and 30.6% of power punches.

Stats via Compubox

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Harrison Campbell covers boxing for The Tennessean and high school sports for The Daily Herald. Email him at hcampbell@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @hccamp.