With so much action on the sports landscape this weekend, one might totally forget there is a unification light heavyweight championship fight on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Mark it on the calendar because it should be a good one as WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (23-0-0) squares off against WBC/WBO/IBF/IBO champion Artur Beterbiev (20-0-0) in a scheduled 12-round bout at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The undercard (12 p.m. ET) and main event (6 p.m. ET) will be televised live on DAZN PPV, ESPN+.
In such a close contest on paper, the fight offers a total contrast in styles.
Bivol, the 6-foot-3, 23-year-old from Russia is more of a tactician, while Beterbiev (who is coming back from a knee injury) is a power fighter as his resume shows by his 20 knockouts.
So which style will win and prevail? This is certainly a prognosticator’s dream to solve this complex puzzle of pure grit and strength.
Bivol vs Beterbiev Odds
Let’s take a look at what betting sites are saying one day before the big showdown:
| Fight Result (3-way) | Odds |
| Bivol | -125 |
| Tie | +1800 |
| Beterbiev | +110 |
The opening rounds will be key to this battle as you can tell by the odds posted, the books are thinking this will be a close contest too. Alot of this fight will be determined on grit and the health of Beterbiev’s surgically repaired knee, therefore, leaning towards Bivol’s style tactics and the ability to wear his opponent down.
| Fight Result | Odds |
| Bivol | -135 |
| Beterbiev | +105 |
Our Pick: Bivol
Bivol vs Beterbiev Method of Victory Predictions
| Method of Victory | Odds |
| Bivol by KO/TKO or DQ | +550 |
| Bivol On points | +125 |
| Beterbiev by KO/TKO or DQ | +160 |
| Beterbiev On Points | +650 |
| Tie | +1800 |
Picking the winner of the fight and NOW to pick how the winning fighter is going to do it and when. That’s a tough choice in any sport, exactly where the win will occur.
Again, the fight is going to be determined on how sharp Beterbiev will be in the ring and how his knee holds up.
The pick: Bivol On points +125 due to the closeness of the fight.
Let’s get it on!
