Dmitry Bivol was shown in a video clip today working on his wrestling in the clinch to prepare for his rematch with undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev on February 22nd at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
It’s believed that the former WBA 175-lb champion Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) will use clinching to neutralize the offense of Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) to keep him from getting his shots off when he closes the distance.
Clinching Strategy
This could be an ugly fight if Bivol chooses to hold Artur all night, but many ex-boxers advise him to do that. Hit & run, and when Beterbiev gets near, grab him in a bearhug. If the referee allows Bivol to get away with this all night without warning or penalizing for his holding, he could control Beterbiev’s offense.
Bivol did a lot of holding on their previous fight on October 12th last year to stymie Beterbiev’s offense, but not enough to keep him winning. Dmitry, 34, lost the fight mainly because he ran around the ring, trying to escape Beterbiev’s pressure.
The scores were 115-113, 116-112 for Beterbiev, and 114-114. In interviews, Bivol has said that he will do more of what he did last time, meaning punch, grab, and move. It’s an off-putting style, but it’s what finesse-level fighters are forced to do when facing punchers or fighters with more offensive skills than them.
Bivol is a good combination puncher but lacks power at 175 and can be hurt. Beterbiev hurt Dmitry in the seventh round, and after, it was a track meet with Bivol running, looking like a wolf was chasing him.
“I see the same outcome. Beterbiev [winning], but I’m rooting for Bivol,” said Teofimo Lopez on social media, picking undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev to defeat Dmitry Bivol in the rematch. “Hopefully, he does better than the first time.
“If anything, I think Beterbiev is going to hurt Bivol this time around, but kudos to Bivol. He boxed very well, but he didn’t show enough grit in the championship rounds. It’s a great fight,” said Teofimo.
Last Updated on 02/05/2025
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