The countdown is almost over, as all the talking stops, and boxing fans can finally watch Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol step into the ring for their light-heavyweight championship clash live on DAZN Pay-Per-View .
What makes the fight so intriguing is how close it is to call, as the traditional boxer meets one of the game's biggest punchers.
Somone who's held championships at the same weight is Clinton Woods, who spoke to SportsBoom ahead of the big showdown in Riyadh.
The former rival of Roy Jones Jr, believes it's a fight between two guys at the peak of their powers but has given the edge to one of the competitors.
“The thing I love about this fight is that it’s two guys at the very top of their game,” Woods said.
“And they’re two old school boxers too. By that I mean they work hard, day in and day out. They have dedicated themselves, completely and utterly, to this sport.
“What makes it so intriguing is that the only light-heavyweight on the planet right now who can beat Beterbiev is Bivol. And the only one who can beat Bivol is Beterbiev.
“For me, though, the more I think about it, I’m edging towards Bivol. Why? I’m just going with that old saying: ‘A good boxer will always beat a good puncher.’ There’s not a lot in it but, if you told me I had a £1000 charity bet and had to go with one, then I’d edge towards Bivol.”
| 11.15pm | Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol | IBF, WBC, WBO and WBA light heavyweight titles |
| 10pm | Fabio Wardley vs. Frazer Clark | For Wardley's British heavyweight title |
| 9pm | Jai Opetaia vs. Jack Massey | For Opetaia's IBF cruiserweight title |
| 8pm | Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Kamil Szeremeta | Middleweight |
| 7pm | Skye Nicolson vs. Raven Chapman | For Nicolson's WBC women's featherweight title |
| 6pm | Ben Whittaker vs. Liam Cameron | Light heavyweight |
| 5.35pm | Mohammaed Alakel vs. Jesus Gonzalez | Lightweight |
Woods' lean towards a Bivol win may come down to the age gap between the two fighters. Beterbiev is six years his senior and the former world champion says you never quite know when that might become a factor.
- Read next | Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Calzaghe - Who emerges as the dominant light-heavyweight in intriguing fantasy fight?
- Read next I Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol - Top Rank President has his say on huge undisputed clash
Adding: “I really like Artur. I’ve got a huge amount of respect for him and obviously he’s got my old belt now.”
“Everyone who spars with him will tell you that every single shot he throws hurts - that it’s just like ‘thud, thud, thud’.
“I just worry that age is going to catch up with him some time. It’s inevitable it’s going to happen at some point but he’s going to be in great shape.
“I’m not saying that it’s going to happen now. But it can creep up on you in boxing - suddenly you get in there, even after a really good performance - and it’s just not there anymore.”
Watch Beterbiev vs. Bivol and huge undercard on DAZN
Watch Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol and the full fight card on October 12 on DAZN Pay-Per-View, which includes Fabio Wardley, Frazer Clark, Chris Eubank Jr, Jai Opetaia, Ben Whittaker and Skye Nicolson all fighting.
The PPV is priced at £19.99 for UK viewers. To purchase and find the prices in your region click here.
Purchasing the PPV includes a seven-day free trial of all of DAZN's programming across a range of sports.
DAZN is the home of boxing, showing over 150 fights a year, broadcasting a variety of boxing programming - press conferences, weigh-ins, exclusive interviews, documentaries and much more - week in, week out, 52 weeks a year from all around the world, in all divisions, at all levels.
More Boxing
- Boxing full schedule and calendar
- DAZN's upcoming Boxing shows
- Boxing rankings
- Boxing champions list in every division
- Fighter profiles and highlights
- How do weight classes work?
- What are the major boxing titles?
- How is boxing scored?