Former boxer Tim Bradley fears that Dmitry Bivol’s fight against Artur Beterbiev does not seem to be healthy for Bivol in the long run. Fans are highly enthusiastic about the fight for the WBA championship title between Dmirty Bivol and his challenger. Bivol’s record is 23-0 with 12 KOs, while his challenger, the IBF, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight champion Beterbiev, is 20-0 with 20 KOs. Bradley thinks Dmitry Bivol will lose focus on the fight, which will give Artur a chance to put pressure on his opponent and will lead the match without getting knocked out.
A Defensive Strategy of Dmitry Bivol
Tim Bradley has encouraged Dmitry Bivol to make the fight ‘ugly’ to avoid Beterbiev at close range and instead clinging to him. In the words of Bradley, this could stall Beterbiev and disable his forward press that opens his opponent. To silence Artur Beterbiev, he should use a combination of stepping and punches to stop Beterbiev from landing on him, as many of the fighters do to avoid damage.
But this strategy sometimes has a flip side. The fans and audience will love to see two amazing and top fighters but will get upset by seeing lots of holdings and clinching. If he decides to rely on that approach for the duration of the fight, it may quickly become a bland spectacle that the audience would not necessarily be looking forward to watching.
Bivol’s Youth and Experience
Dmitry Bivol is six years younger than the opponent, 39-year-old Beterbiev, who has recently had surgery on his knees. However, the fact is that at the age of 33, he is sometimes perceived as too active. Bivol will likely prefer to constantly move and defend against the iconic opponent, which seems quite reckless. Bradley noted that he gets tired and uses ropes as his chair, so this may become fatal against an aggressive boxer like Beterbiev. He added that this sentiment was evident when he showed this behavior against Canelo Alvarez; Dmitry could be easily pushed against the ropes, and Canelo would land some good shots.
The Importance of Stamina and Avoiding the Ropes
According to Bradley, Dmitry Bivol loves to slap and cruise on the ropes for long periods; if he does so against Beterbiev, expect the latter to land a big knockout blow. Forcing Beterbiev into the damaged territory is significant in his movement to avoid the punches, but his movement comes at a cost of energy depletion as he seeks rest on the ropes. According to Bradley, Bivol needs to learn how to avoid leaning on the ropes. If he does, Beterbiev will hit him with viscera-jarring power punches.
While some of them, fans, and analysts are skeptics about the punching power of Dmitry, Bradley noted that his timing and accuracy are fatal, even to iconic fighters like Beterbiev. However, despite his recent fights with no knockouts, Bradley insisted that with the right accuracy, Beterbiev would feel the blows of a technical specialist. This match is highly unpredictable, and it remains unclear who has the advantage.
One noticeable flaw in Beterbiev’s style is his habit of leaning forward aggressively when pushing his opponent. Bradley said that, while he has been studying him, he can catch Beterbiev and potentially hurt or even knock him down. While Beterbiev is also an incredible knockout artist, he is simply much more technical in terms of footwork and mobility, which means he might be able to land clean punches more often.
Final Thoughts
As the fight nears, both fighters will have to stick to their strategies to the letter. Technique-wise, Dmitry Bivol may lack the potency of Beterbiev, but his skills and brain will show a lot throughout the night. At the same time, Beterbiev’s aggressive approach with continuous pressure and being a pounds-weighing fighter make him a risk. The 39-year-old can stop Bivol when the younger man becomes tired or busy on the ropes. Fans wanted to see a tough fight. How Bivol coordinates all aspects of his movement, defense, and conditioning is the defining factor in whether or not this fight will be a sight to behold.
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