How does a showdown between unbeaten light heavyweight titleholders Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev sound?
Bivol likes the idea. And he’d like it to happen in Russia, where both stars live and have strong followings.
“I would like to fight with Artur Beterbiev,” Bivol said on a conference call, per BoxingScene.com. “I think he also wants this. It would be a great fight. I would love to fight this fight in St. Petersburg.”
Competing television alliances would have to be overcome. Bivol is aligned with DAZN, Beterbiev with ESPN.
Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs) last fought in October of last year, when he easily outpointed Lenin Castillo in defense of his 175-pound title. He is a native of Kyrgyzstan but resides in Russia.
Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs) is coming off a sensational 10th-round KO of Oleksandr Gvozdyk in Philadelphia, also in last October. That gave him two 175-pound titles.
Both Bivol and Beterbiev plan to fight again before the end of the year. Bivol has yet to secure a date and opponent. Beterbiev reportedly will defend his belts against Adam Deines in December.
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