The boxing world has waited years for Artur Beteriev and Dmitry Bivol to compete in an undisputed light heavyweight title fight. On June 1, the two best fighters in their division 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 they were supposed to fight in Riyadh, Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus in training. The IBF, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight champion will have to undergo surgery and rehab and he's been sidelined for the foreseeable future.
"Unfortunately, injuries in professional sports are not uncommon, and they can hurt everybody,” Beterbiev said on Twitter/X. “I sincerely did not want the upcoming fight to be postponed, but the doctors insisted on it. This fight will definitely take place, but a little later. Thank you all for your support.”
WATCH: Wilder vs. Zhang, live on DAZN
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 vs. 5 event, which features multiple fighters from Queensberry Promotions and Matchroom Boxing. That show will air on DAZN PPV worldwide.
The 39-year-old Beterbiev has a 100-percent knockout-to-win ratio, so he's a dangerous fighter with plenty of pop. However, injuries have blunted his momentum several times and he's been fighting on a schedule of once a year since 2020.
When will Artur Beterbiev fight Dmitry Bivol?
Turki Alalshikh, the leader 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.
Per various health reports, recovery time from meniscus surgery can take up to 4-6 weeks. The process of gaining full function could take 3-6 months.
Bivol must get past Zinad first. A likely date for Beterbiev. vs. Bivol, if all goes according to plan, would be in September at a proposed Wembley Stadium show featuring Anthony Joshua, or in December in Riyadh.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >
