Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will put their titles on the line when they meet in an undisputed light heavyweight title fight as part of Riyadh Season.
The former will bring his IBF, WBC and WBO titles to the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, against a rival who holds the final piece of the division crown with the WBA belt.
Not only will the pair defend their unbeaten records, they will do so atop a stacked fight card filled with the likes of Fabio Wardley, Frazer Clarke, Chris Eubank Jr. and more.
Richard Pelham/Getty Images
But when only one can walk away on the right side of history, just which man will be the one to step up and write their name in the bright lights?
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol.
When is the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight?
The fight is set to take place on Saturday, October 12, as the pair meet with their combined four titles on the line. The timings for both the start of the fight card and the main event ringwalk are yet to be announced, but DAZN will have all the details once confirmed by Riyadh Season and the promoters.
- Date: Saturday, October 12
- Start time: TBA
- Main event ringwalks (approx): TBA
Where will the Beterbiev-Bivol fight take place?
Beterbiev and Bivol will meet at the Kingdom Arena, located in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Built in 2023, it is the home of Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal and has been used for multiple fights since it opened its doors to the public, with a 30,000 seated capacity.
The venue has already hosted some of the biggest names in boxing, including Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. Usyk defeated Fury in the pair's undisputed bout earlier this year at Kingdom Arena, and the rematch will also be held there in December.
It will mark the first visit to Saudi Arabia for Beterbiev, but is the third fight for Bivol at the venue, having defeated Lyndon Arthur last December and then Malik Zinad in June.
How can I watch the Beterbiev vs. Bivol fight and what does it cost?
DAZN Pay-Per-View has the Riyadh Season: Beterbiev vs. Bivol event live and in full. The full undercard will be show in over 200 countries including the UK, USA and Canada; while the Beterbiev-Bivol main event will be broadcast worldwide (excluding USA and Canada). PPV sign-ups include a seven-day free trial of the DAZN platform.
Prices are still to be confirmed.
Who is on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight card?
- Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol; For the IBF, WBC, WBO and WBA light heavyweight titles
- Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Kamil Szeremeta; Middleweight
- Fabio Wardley vs. Frazer Clarke; For Wardley's British heavyweight title
- Jai Opetaia vs. Jack Massey; For Opetaia's IBF cruiserweight title
- Ben Whittaker vs. Liam Cameron; Light heavyweight
- Skye Nicolson vs. Raven Chapman; For Nicolson's WBC women's featherweight title
- Mohammaed Alakel vs. Jesus Gonzalez; Lightweight
How did Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol land this fight?
With 43 bouts, 43 wins, 32 knockouts and no losses between them, this clash has been a long time in the making for both men, who will finally meet this October.
Having been originally scheduled to fight in June as part of the Queensberry vs. Matchroom 5v5, a ruptured meniscus for Beterbiev ultimately saw the bout postponed.
But it was just one more match to wait for fans as these two unbeaten foes finally cross paths in the ring, having racked up a number of major victories across their careers.
With 20 fights, 20 wins and - astonishingly - 20 KOs, Beterbiev enters this clash as the man with the most to lose, thanks to his three belts.
It was 2017 when he earned his first world title, taking the vacant IBF belt with a knockout over Enrico Kölling, before adding the WBC two years later against Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
(Getty Images)
A comprehensive second-round demolition job on Joe Smith Jr. saw him pick up the WBO in 2022, leaving him with just Bivol to conquer.
Mandatory fights against Anthony Yarde and Callum Smith have delayed this dream bout, followed by that injury too, but Beterbiev will at last get his wish.
Bivol meanwhile took the IBO title against Lyndon Arthur in late 2023, having previously held the WBA (Super) crown since 2019.
He whetted his appetite in Beterbiev's absence with a sixth-round KO against Malik Zinad in Riyadh in June, and now will bid to become the undisputed champion too.
Beterbiev vs. Bivol - the key numbers and stats
Here are just some of the key figures and facts to keep in mind of before this blockbuster battle.
23: The number of professional bouts Bivol has fought, with a 23-0 record and 12 KOs.
20: The amount of KOs Beterbiev has scored across his career - one in each of his 20 professional fights.
12: The only time Beterbiev has reached the 12th round of a fight was against Enrico Kölling in 2017, having finished every other bout earlier.
1: The number of times Beterbiev has been knocked down, coming in the second round of his victory over Callum Johnson in 2018.
Did you know?
- Beterbiev has secured 12 of his 20 knockout victories inside the first half of the scheduled fight length, compared to nine for Bivol.
- Bivol is one of only two men to defeat Canelo Alvarez, with the other being Floyd Mayweather Jr., when he downed the Mexican in 2022.
- Beterbiev has fought only slightly more than half as many rounds as Bivol, with 98 to 190.
What are the fighters saying?
Beterbiev has been complimentary towards his opponent in the build-up, addressing him as a "good boxer" in an interview with The Stomping Ground .
"He has good experience in amateur and professional," he added. "He holds one belt. I’m always respecting my opponents and future opponents."
Bivol however is just happy to finally have a shot at an undisputed battle, highlighting that many great fighters never get the chance across their careers.
"It's a lot, but I'm thankful that I have this opportunity," he also told The Stomping Ground . Some really good boxers, they don't have this opportunity in five or six years."
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
What about the promoters?
Bivol's promoter, Matchroom maestro Eddie Hearn, feels that his fighter is the marginal favourite, but acknowledged he would face a daunting task to bring down Beterbiev.
"It’s a very tough fight," he told Boxing News . "I believe [Bivol is] a slight favourite in the fight because I feel, skill-wise, he’s a better fighter than Artur Beterbiev.
"We’ve seen time and time again that Artur can sometimes lose rounds, but he just hunts you down."
Read more : Eddie Hearn outlines favourite for Beterbiev-Bivol clash