Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, one of the richest prizes in all of boxing is on the line: the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship. Two pound-for-pound greats, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitrii Bivol, will go to battle to see who the greatest 175-pound fighter in the world is.
This is Beterbiev’s first time being on main eventing a massive PPV on a global stage. But for Bivol, this isn’t something new. In 2022, Bivol fought all-time legend Saul “Canelo” Alveraz at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bivol didn’t just show up and fight Canelo; he dominated him and handed Canelo his last loss to date.
Beterbiev and Bivol are each at their peak and have been on a collision course towards each other for quite some time now. Bivol is 23-0 with 12 knockouts, and Beterbiev is 20-0 with 20 knockouts. Roy Jones Jr. was the last Undisputed champion in the Light Heavyweight division. Jones Jr. last defended his Undisputed title against Clinton Woods in 2002.
The last two Undisputed title fights have happened in the past 15 months. First, in July 2023, Terance Crawford beat Errol Spence, and then earlier this year, Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury. Unlike Fury and Usyk, this fight is between two fighters in their prime and coming off elite performances. As we know, Fury won a controversial decision against Francis Ngannou before facing Usyk.
Bivol and Beterbiev are both highly regarded as the Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world. This fight was initially scheduled for June 1, but Beterbiev ruptured his meniscus. Both fighters are now healthy, and the wait is finally almost over. This is one of the most anticipated fights in the last decade and is truly a contest between two all-time talents. This fight is close to being a pick ’em, and the odds back that up with Bivol being the -145 favorite to +110 for Beterbiev on DraftKings Sportsbook.
On Saturday, for the 15th time since 1988, an Undisputed boxing champion in the four-belt era will be crowned. There have only been 12 fighters to become Undisputed champions since then, but Naoya Inoue, Uysk, and Crawford have all achieved this feat in two weight divisions.
But as we have seen in the past, Turki Al-Sheikh (Chairman of General Entertainment Authority) always puts together stacked cards, and this event is the same. Six fights are on the card, four of them for a world title.
Chris Eubank Jr. looks to become a three-time IBO Middleweight champion when he takes on Kamil Szeremeta in the chief support on Saturday. Eubank hasn’t fought since he defeated Liam Smith in Manchester, England, in September 2024. So, after 13 months away from the ring, Eubank will now face Polish fighter Szeremeta, who is 25-2-2. Eubank is 33-3 with 24 knockouts. Both fighters are 35 years old, with Eubank being the taller boxer by one-and-a-half inches.
The third fight from the top is a rematch between talented heavyweight contenders Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke. Their first fight occurred in their home country, but they will now face off in Saudi Arabia. The fight ended in a split-decision draw, 114-113 to Wardley, 115-112 for Clarke and 113-113. Clarke outlanded Wardley 157-151 in total punches and 92-85 with power punches. This was a war, and by the end of the contest, both fighter’s faces were busted open. The second contest between the two should be nothing short of excellent.
The first women’s fight on a Riyadh Season card is finally here, and it is an excellent title bout. WBC Women’s Featherweight Champion Skye Nicolson, the pride of Queensland, Australia, will defend her title against Raven Chapman, the undefeated 9-0 prospect.
Below is the full card for the event. The first five fights will air live on DAZN, with the Main Event, Beterbiev vs. Bivol, taking place on ESPN+ at 6:00 p.m. ET. The undercard begins at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Full Card for Beterbiev vs. Bivol
| Matchup: | Records: | Weight Class: | Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook: |
| (IBF, WBC, WBO) Artur Beterbiev vs. (IBO) Dmitrii Bivol Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship | 20-0 vs. 23-0 | Light Heavyweight (175 LBS) | +110 vs. -145 |
| Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Kamil Szeremeta IBO Middleweight Championship | 33-3 vs. 25-2-2 | Middleweight (160 LBS) | |
| (C) Fabio Wardley vs. Frazer Clarke; British Heavyweight Championship | 17-0-1 vs. 8-0-1 | Cruiserweight (200 LBS) | -145 vs. +120 |
| (C) Jai Opetaia vs. Jack Massey; IBF Cruiserweight Championship | 25-0 vs. 22-2 | Cruiserweight (200 LBS) | -2000 vs. +1100 |
| Ben Whittaker vs. Liam Cameron | 8-0 vs. 23-6 | Light Heavyweight (175 LBS) | -2000 vs. +1000 |
| (C) Skye Nicolson vs. Raven Chapman; WBC Women’s Featherweight Championship | 11-0 vs. 9-0 | Featherweight (126 LBS) | -650 vs. +450 |
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