Beterbiev Eyes Cruiserweight Move After Potential Victory Against Bivol

Artur Beterbiev hints at moving up in weight if he secures undisputed light heavyweight championship

Artur Beterbiev has hinted at the possibility of moving up in weight /

By Moses Ochieng

Artur Beterbiev has hinted at the possibility of moving up in weight if he secures victory in his undisputed light heavyweight showdown against WBA 175-lb champion Dmitry Bivol on October 12th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

 Beterbiev, 39, last fought in January, where he knocked out former British super middleweight champion Callum Smith. Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) became a unified light heavyweight champion in 2019 after stopping Oleksandr Gvozdyk in the 10th round to claim the WBC and IBF titles.

Following two successful title defenses, Artur Beterbiev dismantled Joe Smith Jr. in just two rounds to claim the WBO belt, adding it to his collection. Beterbiev has said that if he wins his 12-round bout against Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs), he will have achieved his goal of unifying all the belts at light heavyweight.

 Should Beterbiev move up to the cruiserweight division, fans would eagerly anticipate a matchup between him and unbeaten IBF champion Jai Opetaia, widely regarded as the top fighter in the division.

It will be dufficult for Beterbiev to defeat Bivol, as he'll need to constantly cut off the ring and chase him throughout the fight. Recent training footage of Bivol shows him incorporating a lot of movement, suggesting he plans to stay on the outside and keep Beterbiev at a distance.

 “I’m not excited about a face-off. I’m excited about a fight. He’s a good boxer and he’s my challenge,” Artur Beterbiev stated in media reports.

Attempting to outbox Bivol may not be a good strategy for Beterbiev, as he's more suited to sticking with his usual approach of seeking a knockout. Engaging in a boxing match would play into Bivol's strengths.

“My goal is to be a good boxer one day. It means I’m not there yet. I need to do hard training because I’m not there. I’m not a good boxer yet. I will be a good boxer if I do hard training. I think for this category, it’s the main goal,” stated Beterbiev.

If he secures the undisputed title at light heavyweight, he will have achieved everything he set out to accomplish. “We’ll see after. Challenges may be in different categories. Go up [in weight]. I’m not focused on these things,” Beterbiev continued.