The highly anticipated light-heavyweight championship clash will take place this Saturday as Russian fighters Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol face off in a 12-round match that aims to unify the WBO, WBA, IBF, and WBC titles. The event will take place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the main card starting around noon ET and the main event ring walk expected at approximately 6 p.m. ET. Both boxers enter the ring undefeated: Beterbiev boasts a perfect knockout record of 20 wins, while Bivol stands at 23-0, with 12 of those victories coming by knockout or stoppage.
In the latest betting odds, Bivol is favored at -126 (risking $126 to win $100), while Beterbiev is at +104. The total rounds over/under is set at 10.5, with the Over favored at -186 and the Under at +144. The odds for the fight going the distance stand at -142. For expert boxing predictions, SportsLine’s Peter Kahn offers insights worth considering before making any betting decisions.
Kahn, a seasoned boxing insider and manager of 20 fighters through Fight Game Advisors, has an impressive track record, including winning the 2022 Cus D’Amato Manager of the Year award and being inducted into the 2023 Florida Boxing Hall of Fame. His notable successes include accurately predicting underdog Ryan Garcia’s victory over Devin Haney earlier this year, yielding substantial profits for his followers.
Kahn has examined the upcoming Beterbiev-Bivol fight from multiple angles and has shared his top picks and bets, available exclusively at SportsLine.
Backing Bivol could be advantageous, as the 33-year-old holds a stellar 23-0 record, including 12 knockouts. His latest victory was a sixth-round TKO against Malik Zinad on June 1, following a unanimous decision win over Lyndon Arthur for the IBO title. Bivol has performed impressively since turning professional in November 2014, beginning his career with six consecutive knockouts. He is recognized as the world’s third-best pound-for-pound active boxer and the second-best light heavyweight by various outlets.
On the other hand, Beterbiev, 39, has shown remarkable dominance in the ring with all but one of his knockouts occurring before the 12th round, and 12 occurring before the fourth round. His last fight resulted in a seventh-round TKO against Callum Smith in January, which allowed him to retain his WBC, IBF, and WBO titles. Beterbiev first claimed the IBF title with a knockout in November 2017 and secured the WBC title in October 2019 with a 10th-round TKO, adding the WBO belt to his collection in June 2022.
Regarded as the world’s leading light heavyweight by several organizations, Beterbiev’s impressive amateur career includes four gold medals and one silver across various championships.
Kahn leans toward the Over for the total rounds and has identified two strong bets, including a money-line winner and a plus-money prop. For thorough picks and analysis, visit SportsLine to find out who to back in this exciting matchup.