The boxing world has waited years for Artur Beteriev and Dmitri Bivol to compete in a fight for the undisputed light heavyweight title. On June 1, the two best fighters in their pision were scheduled to consolidate all the belts for the first time since Roy Jones Jr. accomplished the feat two decades ago. Unfortunately, the wait continues.
A few weeks before the fight in Riyadh, Beterbiev suffered a torn meniscus during training. The IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight champion will have to undergo surgery and rehabilitation and has been sidelined for the foreseeable future.
“Unfortunately, injuries in professional sports are not uncommon and can harm everyone,” Beterbiev said in Twitter/X. “I honestly didn’t want the next fight to be postponed, but the doctors insisted on it. This fight will definitely take place, but a little later. Thank you for all your support.”
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Bivol recently underwent surgery on his hand and returned to action in December. He will now face Malik Zinad on the undercard of the 5-on-5 event, which features several fighters from Queensberry Promotions and Matchroom Boxing. That program will be broadcast DAZN PPV worldwide.
Beterbiev, 39, has a 100 percent knockout-to-win ratio, making him a dangerous fighter with a lot of power. However, injuries have affected his momentum several times and he has been fighting on a once-a-year schedule since 2020.
When will Artur Beterbiev fight Dmitry Bivol?
Turki Alalshikh, head of Saudi Arabia’s investment in boxing through the General Entertainment Authority, said he hopes the undisputed title fight between Beterbiev and Bivol will be rescheduled for later this year.
According to various health reports, meniscus surgery recovery time can take between 4 and 6 weeks. The process of regaining full function could take 3 to 6 months.
Bivol must get past Zinad first. A probable date for Beterbiev. vs. Bivol, if all goes to plan, would be in September at a proposed show at Wembley Stadium with Anthony Joshua, or in December in Riyadh.
