Only one thing stands between Dmitry Bivol facing Artur Beterbiev in Saudi Arabia
The much-awaited fight between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev could finally come to fruition in 2024. Nevertheless, it appears as though there's one roadblock that ought to be overcome for the Bivol vs. Beterbiev matchup to take place.
Presently, Bivol holds the WBA (Super) and the IBO light heavyweight titles. In his most recent matchup, the 33-year-old Russian pugilist faced Lyndon Arthur. Their fight transpired at the Day of Reckoning boxing event in Saudi Arabia on December 23, 2023.
Putting on a dominant performance against Arthur, Bivol retained his WBA (Super) light heavyweight title and captured the IBO light heavyweight title.
Meanwhile, Artur Beterbiev currently possesses the WBC, WBO, and IBF light-heavyweight titles. The 38-year-old Russian-Canadian boxer was booked to fight the UK's Callum Smith in August 2023.
However, Beterbiev withdrew from that showdown, as he had to undergo jaw surgery due to a bone infection. Following that, Beterbiev was rebooked to fight Smith on January 13, 2024.
As highlighted in the below tweet, Dmitry Bivol's next fight could see him face Artur Beterbiev. The Russian boxer has reportedly agreed to his side of the deal for a potential fight against Beterbiev in Saudi Arabia.
The only remaining hurdle is that Beterbiev has to defeat Smith in their upcoming fight on January 13, 2024.
Dmitry Bivol issues call-out after dominant showing at the Day of Reckoning
The potential Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev boxing bout has long been a hot-button topic in the combat sports realm. Both boxers sport undefeated professional boxing records and are seemingly on a collision course. Much to the delight of fight fans worldwide, Bivol recently reiterated that he could face the Russian-Canadian boxing savant next.
During his in-ring interview after beating Lyndon Arthur at the Day of Reckoning boxing event, Dmitry Bivol implied that his bout against Arthur was akin to a good sparring session. Moreover, he asserted that he'd like to fight the winner of the Beterbiev-Smith fight next and become boxing's undisputed light heavyweight champion. Bivol stated:
"I would say that it was good sparring for me. Lyndon, he was in good shape. I'm glad [at] the end of the year I got this fight and now I see my way to my goal. [I want to be] undisputed against the winner of Beterbiev and Smith. I hope this fight will happen in 2024."
Watch Bivol's assessment below: