The boxing world is set to witness an undisputed light-heavyweight champion emerge from a super showdown in Saudi Arabia tonight, as Artur Beterbiev squares off against Dmitry Bivol. This blockbuster fight was originally scheduled for June, but was postponed after Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus in his knee during training that needed surgery. This pushed the fight date to autumn and will be taking place this evening at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Both Beterbiev and Bivol are Russian world champions and boast unbeaten records - with 20-0 and 23-0 respectively. All of Beterbiev's victories have come by way of knockout, while Bivol has 12 KOs to his name.
Beterbiev, who fights out of Canada, is the holder of the IBF world light-heavyweight title, as well as the WBC world light-heavyweight and WBO world light-heavyweight titles. Bivol, the IBO light-heavyweight title holder, faces a significant challenge from his 39-year-old countryman.
In the undercard, Chris Eubank Jr is set to make his eagerly-awaited return to the ring as he takes on Kamil Szeremeta for the middleweight title. The 35-year-old professional boxer, son of former world champion Chris Eubank, hasn't been seen in the ring since his technical KO victory over Liam Smith in September last year. Having previously lost to Smith earlier in 2023, he could be up against a tough test one year on from his most recent bout.
Upcoming opponent Szeremeta remains unbeaten in his last six bouts, with the 34-year-old holding a 25-2-2 record. However, the Polish boxer's two losses were by knockout - an area where Eubank Jr excels. Eubank Jr boasts a boxing record of 33-3, with 24 of his victories being KOs - making this middleweight bout one not to be overlooked. Here's how you can tune into all the weekend's action....
Anticipation will steadily rise throughout the day as the official event kicks off at 5pm BST, with the undercard match between Eubank Jr and Szeremeta scheduled to commence at 9pm BST. The headline fight, Beterbiev vs Bivol, is predicted to start following ring walks at 11pm BST and is set to last for a full 12 rounds if necessary.
There's a packed undercard leading up to this fight, featuring a British clash between Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron in the light-heavyweight round, as well as Australian Jai Opetaia taking on Derbyshire's Jack Massey for the IBF Cruiserweight world title.
In the UK, TNT Sports, DAZN and Sky Sports Box Office have secured the rights to broadcast the Beterbiev vs Bivol fight, along with the undercard, via pay per view. Sky Sports has priced this fight at £19.95, with DAZN and TNT Sports slightly more expensive at £19.99. Once bought, you can watch it on your TV, or through the DAZN app, Discovery+ and the Sky Sports Box Office app.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, Beterbiev said: "We'll see. I'm really interested to know that. I don't know. I always prepare for 12 rounds, for hard work. If I land, everyone can be knocked out. At the same time we're not thinking about a knockout, it's not the main thing in our team. It's not good if you prepare for a fight with one scenario. You need to be smarter."
Bivol also told Sky Sports: "It's like I did everything right in my life. Because this is my goal. This is my dream and the dream could come 'true'. Of course it will show me that I was doing right. The main thing is that I realise my potential. I have a plan, I want to reach this goal and all of it - that people will recognise me, people will remember me, I will get some belts, it's just a bonus.
"This is the two best light-heavyweight fighters in the world. It's the undisputed fight and it's two different boxing styles, two guys that don't know what a loss is. This fight would be on my wishlist to watch. All undisputed fights I want to watch, because it's what makes history. We have a lot of world championship fights, but undisputed fights we could count on our two hands."
