Dmitry Bivol says he understands he has to try a different strategy to win a rematch with undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in their fight in 60 days on February 22 in Riyadh.
Can Buffalo change?
In order for Bivol to win the rematch, he must change his fighting style from being defensive to focusing on being aggressive and staying in the pocket. With his brittle chin, lack of power, age and reluctance to punch, it’s unlikely that Buffalo can change. He is 34 years old and quite fit.
Former WBA 175lb champion Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) isn’t coming right out and saying it, but he spent too much time running away from Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) after he stunned him with a heavy jab in the seventh round.
Bivol, 34, showed no desire to maintain his position after that round, and the last five rounds were one long, bitter retreat. It was eye-opening to see Bivol give up and flee, giving up the battle and thinking only of survival; he showed weakness and unwillingness to fight. Beterbiev took advantage of Buffalo’s unwillingness to fight.
I don’t know what can change in the second leg. When a fighter is afraid, as Bivol showed, that does not change in the rematch. That fear still exists. You get the same results in the second leg and the fans go home unhappy.
Turki Alalasih was supposed to fight Beterbiev against David Benavidez, Joshua Boissy or David Morrell instead of setting up a rematch with Bivola. Dmitri should have earned a rematch by going through one or two of those fighters, not being handed one after a loss.
The scores were 116-112, 115-113 for Beterbiev and 114-114. Some boxing fans felt that 116-112 was too wide, but that reflected Bivol’s inability to hang on and fight. He used a punching style, which showed that he was not willing to fight. Unsurprisingly, Bivol’s punches lacked power as his mind was focused on escaping. In other words, Bivol was just spoiling.
Sixty days to change
Dmitri’s fans believed he had done enough to deserve the win, but it was obvious to everyone else that Beterbiev had dominated the last six rounds, which scared him. Beterbiev exposed Bivolj under fire for his lack of courage. We’ve already seen Bivol look scared when Lyndon Arthur hurt him in the eighth round on December 23, 2023.
“I have one more chance and (Turki Alalshik) said about this date the day after the fight.” He wanted a rematch on this date. He asked me, he asked Beterbiev who said yes, and since that day I have had it in my head that I will have this chance again,” said Dmitry Bivol. Fighthippe about getting another chance to fight Artur Beterbiev.
“Of course I have to do something different and I know what I will add, I know what I will change a little bit.”
the rabbit and the wolf
Turki gave Buffalo another chance, but it won’t help him if he doesn’t fight with more heart and stop being the cowardly rabbit he was last time. Beterbiev chased him around the ring like a wolf for the last half of the fight, and Bivol appeared to have given up. He was just hoping for an ugly decision.