The rematch that we all wanted goes down this Saturday in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Beterbiev vs Bivol 2. After their epic first encounter last October where Artur Beterbiev narrowly got the better of Dimitry Bivol via a majority decision (116–112, 115–113, 114–114).
The undisputed gold will yet again be on the line when these two meet again. That’s not the only great fight on the card, however. The dangerous Daniel Dubois returns after his emphatic knockout of Anthony Joshua last time out to take on the in-form former world champion, Joseph Parker.
The dangerous, exciting Hamzah Sheeraz competes for his first world title, the WBC middleweight title as he clashes with holder, Carlos Adamas.
Big Bang Zhilei Zhang returns after his knockout of Deontay Wilder to face the undefeated Agit Kabayel, who looks to continue his impressive run of form.
The WBC world lightweight title is also on the line as the undefeated Shakur Stevenson takes on a fellow undefeated star in Floyd Schofield.
That’s not all for undefeated stars, however. Vergil Ortiz Jr clashes with Israil Madrimov at welterweight.
Opening up the card is a fight which could easily headline a domestic card in the UK as former world title challenger, Callum Smith looks to defeat fellow Brit, Joshua Buatsi.
We take a look at each fight on the Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 card and give you our picks!
Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 – Betting Odds and Predictions
Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 is a worthy headliner of any card, especially where the fight card is this stacked.
Last time out, Beterbiev’s brutal power didn’t seem to effect Bivol much, despite him having to be switched on throughout the entire fight. Bivol was quicker and arguably did enough to win the fight itself. Beterbiev was certainly solid on the night but at 40 years old, father time is bound to catch up with him soon enough.
Bivol doesn’t have the power to finish Beterbiev but has the skills to outpoint him over 12 rounds. Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 will lead to Beterbiev vs Bivol 3 because Bivol captures the rematch, setting up a decider.
Bivol via Unanimous Decision
The co-main event is a fascinating clash between the IBF world champion, Daniel Dubois and the always dangerous and skilful, Joseph Parker. Dubois is full of confidence after notching three big finish victories in his last three bouts, none bigger than his win against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium last time out.
Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois – IBF Heavyweight Title Fight – Wembley Stadium Anthony Joshua left and Daniel Dubois in the IBF World Heavy weight bout at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday September 21, 2024. Use subject to restrictions. Editorial use only, no commercial use without prior consent from rights holder. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxIRL Copyright: xBradleyxCollyerx 77543793
Parker, on the other hand, has notched five straight victories, including two finishes. He defeated both Wilder and Zhang in his most recent two bouts, both going the 12 round distance.
Dubois is the heavier-handed man, the more confident man and the man who could really shake up the heavyweight division. Is he looking past Parker to a potential Oleksandr Usyk fight? Perhaps, however, he’ll have enough focus in this one to get the finish victory, adding to his 22 knockout victories so far.
Dubois via knockout rounds 7-9
In a fascinating bout, Sheeraz can really prove that he is at world championship level with a win over Adamas. Sheeraz will be looking to add to his 17 knockouts as he clashes with Adamas, who is looking to continue his winning run.
Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois – IBF Heavyweight Title Fight – Wembley Stadium Hamzah Sheeraz left and Tyler Denny in the EBU European Middle weight bout at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday September 21, 2024. Use subject to restrictions. Editorial use only, no commercial use without prior consent from rights holder. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxIRL Copyright: xBradleyxCollyerx 77542525
Sheeraz blew Tyler Denny away in two rounds last time out, getting his opponent out of there for the third time in four fights in under 3 rounds. He’s dangerous early, but Adamas knows how to navigate fights comfortably. This one should be close, neither man is familiar with losing. Adamas has only tasted defeat once, dropping a decision in 2019.
Sheeraz is the up-and-comer, the young, hungry fighter, the man who is being pushed massively. Expect him to make a big statement in Riyad on the Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 undercard.
Sheeraz via knockout rounds 4-6
The first heavyweight fight on the card will see Big Bang clash with the inform, undefeated Kabayel. The 25-0 star has become a killer as of late, taking the 0s of Arslanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez in his last two bouts and while Zhang isn’t undefeated, it’s still going to be a huge scalp if he can get the win.
240602 — RIYADH, June 2, 2024 — Zhang Zhilei R of China arrives for his fight against Deontay Wilder of the United States during the 5VS5 boxing event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 2, 2024. SPSAUDI ARABIA-RIYADH-5VS5 BOXING-ZHANG ZHILEI WangxHaizhou PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN
Whilst Zhang is the more recognisable name, Kabayel is the up and coming killer who could easily step into the title picture with a victory. The winner of this one becomes the interim WBC heavyweight champion, a title that is deserving of a place at the top table.
Zhang via unanimous decision
Shakur Stevenson looks to stay undefeated and retain his WBC world lightweight title and continue his assault on the lightweight division as he returns to clash with Josh Padley. Stevenson failed to impress in 2024 with only one outing, going the distance in a bout where he was a -2500 favourite. He enters this one a -4000 favourite.
Floyd Schofield was Stevenson’s original opponent, however, had to pull out and has been replaced with Padley. The Brit is undefeated at 15-0 and came off the biggest win of his career last time out, defeating Mark Chamberlain.
Although it’s not the megafight that many people wanted, it’s the fight we’re getting and the American is able to stay on the card. He’s returning from a broken hand that kept him out of the Joe Cordina fight. He needs a big performance if he will get a big fight next. Tank Daivs, Denys Berinchyk and Andy Cruz come to mind…
Stevenson via unanimous decision
It doesn’t get any easier for Madrimov in Saudi Arabia on the Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 undercard. Coming off the first loss of his career, the Uzbekistan native will be looking to put his loss to Terrence Crawford behind him as he meets Vergil Ortiz Jr.
The American will be looking to maintain his undefeated record and progress to 23-0. At 26, he has a huge career ahead of him but hasn’t exactly been slacking as of late. His last outing against Serhii Bohachuk was the first time that he saw a judges scorecard, notching 21 straight knockouts.
This is a really tough one to call. Ortiz might edge it narrowly, but it will take him the full 36 minutes to do it.
Ortiz Jr via unanimous decision
Opening up the Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 card is another fight that could easily headline a domestic card. It’s certainly more intriguing to boxing hardcore than the upcoming Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn fight…
Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois – IBF Heavyweight Title Fight – Wembley Stadium Joshua Buatsi left and Willy Hutchinson in the WBO Interim World Light Heavy weight bout at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday September 21, 2024. Use subject to restrictions. Editorial use only, no commercial use without prior consent from rights holder. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxIRL Copyright: xBradleyxCollyerx 77541739
An all-British affair at light heavyweight will be the curtain-jerker as Callum Smith, the former WBA and The Ring super-middleweight champion returns for a tough bout against Joshua Buatsi. Buatsi will be looking to keep his undefeated record as he takes on the toughest test of his career thus far. The 2016 Olympic bronze medalist is yet to truly take any great risks in his career. His biggest win is possibly Craig Richards in 2022 and has gone the distance in his last four straight fights. He’s certainly a technician, however, needs to beat Smith to prove to the world that he is at ‘that’ level.
In a recent episode of the Couch Warrior Podcast, host Mike welcomed Charalampos Grigoriou, who recently won a contract during season 7 of Dana White's Contender Series after knocking out Cameron Smotherman one minute into the fight. The conversation delved into Grigoriou's martial arts journey, his feelings on representing Cyprus and Greece, and future plans.
