Artur Beterbiev turns 40 today as he headlines his undisputed light heavyweight championship title defense against Dmitry Bival on February 22nd in Riyadh.

of Bhol Getting a second chance Due to complaints from fans and his publicist about his loss. It seemed like a fair decision. Beterbiev wanted it more, and Bivol was only interested in trying not to get knocked out. When you run like a beaver, you don't win. It's simple.

Ageless champion

Despite putting off knee surgery for a torn meniscus in May 2024, Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) looked like a young, fresh fighter and defeated previously undefeated WBA champion Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) on October 12th.

The scores were 115-113, 116-112 and 114-114. Fighting on only one good leg, Beterbeev chases Bivol around the ring and looks like a dog chasing a scaredy cat. Bivel, with two healthy legs, had no fight in him.

Physically, Beterbiev looks younger than Bivol, who looks haggard since their previous fight. You can see the bags under both eyes of the 34-year-old Bivol and he has the look of an old hunting dog.

The punishment Bival took in combat made him older as he got older. Although Beevel was blocking Beterbiev's shots with his gloves, the punches were so hard that they still did damage.

Last time, Bivol went from the sixth round to the entire second half of the fight when Beterbiev began to apply pressure on him. Once it started, Bivel was no longer in the fight. He was just trying to survive.

Beterbiev held on for the first five rounds, giving Bivel jabs and throws to get the better of him. Starting in the sixth, the fight changed hands as Beterbiev went into attack mode. Bivol didn't have the firepower, chin or courage to stand and fight. It was frustrating because he didn't even try to make it exciting. It was pure running and holding from bivol.

Braking failure

If Beterbiev chooses to attack immediately in the rematch, it will be a loss as Bivol doesn't have the punching power or chin to contend with. Furthermore, he is less willing to exchange power shots than other fighters in the light heavyweight division. Bivol hates being hit, and is terrified of being nailed by Beterbiev.

It will be interesting to see if Bivole's promoter, Eddie Hearn, starts complaining again if he loses the decision. Hopefully, he will show some class along the high road.

“It's going to be hard to split them up. “I don't know if the last fight was tough for either of them, and I don't know if Beterbiev is old,” Callum Smith said. IFL TVArtur Beterbiev's age has caught up with him in a rematch with Dmitry Bivol on 22 February.

“We keep saying he's starting to look his age, but I don't know if it's taken a bit out of him in the fight. As time goes on, you'll have to turn to Bivol to freshen up a bit. I think Bivol, but I think it's going to be very tight again. I will finish my work (against Joshua Buatsi) and then look at the main event. Hopefully, I'll have a shot at the winner,” said Smith.

.@betterbive 40 years today 🎂🎈#BetterbievBivol2 | #Riyadh season | February 22, live on DAZN @turki_alalsikh pic.twitter.com/5e6J5lR9cG

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) January 21, 2025