Artur Beterbiev is prepared to move on with his career – and from Dmitry Bivol.
BoxingScene has confirmed that the former undisputed light heavyweight champion is set to next face Alabama’s Deon Nicholson on November 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 175lbs matchup is part of a stacked Ring IV show that will feature at least five major title fights.
News of the bout was first reported by Ring Magazine, who presents the event along with boxing financier Turki Alalshikh.
The night will mark the first time in more than eight years that Beterbiev, 21-1 (20 KOs) will enter the ring without a major title at stake. It comes as an alternative to previously sought plans for a rubber match with Bivol, 24-1 (12 KOs), the current undisputed 175lbs champion.
Beterbiev and Bivol are responsible for the only defeat on the other’s records, their two-fight set which took place in a four-month span. Beterbiev – a two-time Olympian for Russia who lives and trains in Montreal, Canada – won their first fight via majority decision to fully unify all four major 175lbs titles last October 12 in Riyadh.
It ended Bivol’s near seven-year WBA title reign, while Beterbiev retained the WBC, IBF and WBO titles.
Beterbiev entered their February 22 rematch as the sport’s longest-reigning active titleholder, having held the IBF belt since November 2017. Bivol put an end to that with a majority decision victory of his own in their instant classic.
However, his stay as newly crowned undisputed champion was brief. Bivol was forced to vacate the WBC title when he declined to move forward with an ordered mandatory title defense against David Benavidez, 30-0 (24 KOs).
Fittingly, Benavidez defends the WBC 175lbs title for the first time against England’s Anthony Yarde atop this November 22 show.
As for Bivol, it was theorized at the time that he would move forward with a trilogy clash against Beterbiev, and that it would presumably take place in Russia. However, the bout never came close to materializing. In fact, Beterbiev even called out Bivol for dragging his feet on the matter.
A third fight is even less likely to take place anytime soon. As reported by BoxingScene, Bivol was ordered to next face IBF mandatory Michael Eifert. The deadline has passed for their negotiation period, and Bivol is out of exceptions to use in the absence of a unification bout.
Meanwhile, Beterbiev, 40, will take a stay-busy fight as means to once again lodge a two-fight campaign on the year, as well as his third straight appearance in Riyadh.
It comes against a woefully overmatched foe in Nicholson, 22-1 (18 KOs), a stablemate of former WBC heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder. Both fighters are from Tuscaloosa, Alabama and posted knockout wins on the same June 27 BLK Prime Pay-Per-View show in Wichita, Kansas.
Nicholson halted Houston’s Devonte Williams, 13-3 (6 KOs) in the fourth round of their light heavyweight contest. The win ended a ten-month inactive stretch for the 34-year-old knockout artist, who faces a former champion for the first time in his nine-year career.
