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Boxing history will be made on Saturday, Oct. 12, when Artur Beterbiev takes on Dmitry Bivol in a battle for the undisputed light heavyweight championship. For the first time in the four-belt era, two fighters will face off to unify all 175-pound major belts.
Beterbiev holds the WBC, WBO and IBF titles, while Bivol holds the WBA title.
The fight was originally scheduled for June 1, but had to be postponed when Beterbiev underwent knee surgery for a torn meniscus. The delay has only added to the hype surrounding the matchup.
Beterbiev, 39, is 20-0 with 20 knockouts, making him the sport’s only champion with a 100% KO rate. He’s held at least one light heavyweight title since 2017, unified his three belts with a TKO victory in 2022 and has since made two successful defenses.
He’ll face Bivol, a 33-year-old Russian who is 23-0 (12 KOs). Bivol used the downtime ahead of the postponed fight to fight Malik Zinad, scoring a sixth-round TKO victory.
Bettors looking to wager on the fight can do so at our favorite boxing betting sites, all of which feature plenty of odds and lines for this dramatic matchup. They can also wager on other fights on the card, which is loaded with intriguing matchups like title fights between Jai Opetaia and Jack Massey (IBF cruiserweight) and Skye Nicolson and Raven Chapman (WBC featherweight).
Here’s a look at what you need to know about the fight and how to bet on it.
Beterbiev vs. Bivol Preview
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 12
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- Location: Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
- Moneyline: Beterbiev +120, Bivol -145
- Steam: ESPN+
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and subject to change.
This is arguably one of the biggest boxing fights of the last few years, and the close odds reflect that.
As noted above, both boxers are undefeated title holders who are violent, gifted strikers. There’s also history on the line, as the winner will be the sport’s first undisputed champion at 175 pounds since Roy Jones Jr. in 2002.
Bivol has fought more recently than Beterbiev and isn’t coming off surgery, but his fighting style is based on finesse and athleticism. Meanwhile, Beterbiev has two rockets for fists and is one of the sport’s strongest punchers.
The biggest question mark surrounding the fight is how Beterbiev responds to his knee surgery after rupturing his meniscus during training.
While he’s probably the better pound-for-pound fighter, Bivol might be able to lean on his impeccable footwork and either tire Beterbiev out or get him off balance to set up a knockout blow.
That said, it’s tough to fade Beterbiev considering he’s knocked out everyone he’s ever stepped in a ring with. Even if he’s not fully 100%, he’s one of the best fighters to ever step on the canvas.
Beterbiev vs. Bivol Prediction
Someone’s unbeaten streak is going to end here, and we’re betting that it’s Beterbiev.
Yes, he’s a great puncher who has three titles and has knocked out all of his opponents. However, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s coming off surgery, hasn’t fought since January and is facing a fighter who was seemingly designed in a lab to defeat him.
There are too many question mark with Beterbiev, so we like Bivol on the moneyline (-145) and winning by decision or technical decision (+115).
How to Bet on Beterbiev vs. Bivol
The simplest bet to make for this fight is on the moneyline. This is a wager on which fighter will win, regardless of the method of victory or length of the fight.
As mentioned above, Bivol is a -145 favorite on the moneyline at DraftKings, which means you’d have to wager $145 to win $100. Beterbiev is a +120 underdog, so you’d profit $120 if your $100 bet on him cashes.
As of Oct. 11, 58% of moneyline wagers at DraftKings are on Bivol, showing that the public is backing the favorite.
Another straightforward bet is the Over/Under on the total number of rounds the fight will last. The line is set at 10.5 rounds, with the Over juiced to -205 and the Under at +145. Based on those odds, this is expected to be a longer fight despite both fighters’ knockout ability.
You can also bet on the method of victory as a prop bet. Bivol winning by decision or technical decision has the shortest odds at +115, followed by Beterbiev winning by KO/TKO/DQ (+185). Bivol is +550 to win by KO/TKO/DQ, while Beterbiev is +700 to win by decision or technical decision. A draw has the longest odds at +1600.
Bettors can also wager on whether the fight will go the distance. The fight going the distance has -150 odds compared to +110 odds for the fight to end early, so oddsmakers are expecting the fight to last until the final bell.
Lastly, you can combine multiple wagers into a parlay to get longer odds and take a shot at a higher payout. For example, you can bet on a fighter to win and for the match to go over or under a certain number of rounds in the same bet ticket.
Beterbiev vs. Bivol Fight Card
This is Saudi Arabia’s second boxing event, as Terence Crawford’s fight against Israil Madrimov in August was their first time dipping into the boxing waters.
As mentioned above, this fight card has two other title fights that should garner plenty of attention from the boxing world.
- Main Event: Artur Beterbiev (+120) vs. Dimitry Bivol (-145)
- Middleweight: Chris Eubank Jr. (-2500) vs. Kamil Szeremeta (+1300)
- Heavyweight: Fabio Wardley (-145) vs. Frazer Clarke (+120) (British heavyweight title)
- Cruiserweight: Jai Opetaia (-2000) vs. Jack Massey (+1100) (Wardley’s British heavyweight title)
- Light Heavyweight: Ben Whittaker (-2000) vs. Liam Cameron (+900)
- Featherweight: Skye Nicolson (-650) vs. Raven Chapman (+450) (WBC women’s featherweight title)
- Lightweight: Mohammed Alakel vs. Jesus Gonzalez (TBD)
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images