Dmitry Bivol is working on his strength to improve and increase his power for his rematch against undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev on February 22nd in Riyadh.
Two months ago, Beterbiev defeated Bivolj via a 12-round majority decision, but was given a second chance due to complaints from fans and Dmitri’s promoters. There was no real controversy. To sum up, Bivol’s nerves failed him, and he did not want to fight the Betterbys.
Beterbiev dominated and earned an 8-4 victory. I watched the fight and had it 9-3 for Beterbiev.
The Scores
115-113: Beterbiev
114-114
116-112: Beterbiev
Second round
Dmitry looked like a scared rabbit in the previous fight and was not willing to fight with wolf-like Beterbiev when pressed in the sixth round. It’s hard to imagine the rematch being any different from the first fight as Buffalo lacks the chin, strength and more importantly, the guts to stand and fight Beterbiev.
Dmitri talks about wanting to be more aggressive for the second contest, but when he steps into the ring with Beterbiyev and the artillery starts to fall on his position, Bivol’s fear will resurface. He will then run around the ring like last time, making it boring for the fans to watch. He has no heart to fight.
Former WBA 175lb champion Bivol (23-1, 14 KOs) was underpowered in his 12-round majority decision loss to Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) two months ago on October 12th. He needs to build on this area if he wants to win the second leg.
Turki Al-Shiekh gave Buffalo a chance to avenge his defeat, but if he is defeated this time, his chances have run out. His promoters and loyal fans howled at the loss last October, believing he had done enough to win, but he didn’t.
Ideally, the other opponent should have been allowed to challenge Beterbiev rather than send him back with an unnecessary rematch. The boxing world would much rather David Benavidez, Joshua Buatsi or David Morrell face Beterby than the defense-minded Biwall getting another shot.
Buffalo adjustments
The Beterbiev-Bivol fight was boring because of the defensive style Bivol brought to the fight, which involved using a Shakur-esque three-foot step back, movement and clinch. Beterbiev made the whole fight by attacking and chasing Buffalo like a rabbit around the ring.
Bivol, 34, escaped when Beterbiev began to press him in the second half of the contest. He showed he didn’t want to mess with the undefeated unified champion.
What Bivol must do to win the rematch
– Stay in your pocket: Don’t run away
– Be brave
– Even more
– Attack the body
– Limit movement
Bivol is not young at 34 and cannot move for 12 consecutive rounds to avoid Beterbiev’s attacks. We saw that last time they fought, and it cost him when he shut down over his decision to run under pressure from Arthur.
Buffalo increases for the rematch 📈#BetterbievBivol2 | #RiadhSeason | February 22, live on DAZN | @Turki_alalshikh
📸 @bivol_d pic.twitter.com/ijKSFzgaHB7
— DAZN boxing (@DAZNBoking) December 31, 2024