The long-awaited fight for the title of absolute light heavyweight champion between Russians Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol was scheduled for June 1 in Riyadh. But on the morning of May 4, it became known that Beterbiev had injured his knee and the fight was postponed.
The chairman of the General Directorate of Entertainment in Saudi Arabia, Turki Al al-Sheikh, reported that the Bivol-Beterbiev fight will take place at the end of 2024. And as Bivol’s new opponent for the June 1 fight, Libyan Malik Zinad, who lives in Malta, is considered with the same record as Dmitry – 22 victories in 22 fights in the professional ring.
The correspondent spoke with Dmitry Bivol about the news related to his June 1 fight. Also in the interview we recalled the confrontation between Jaime Munguia and Saul Alvarez, whom Bivol beat in May 2022.
“Well, not now, then later. What to do”
— Dmitry, I immediately wanted to ask you to tell us your reaction to the announcement of the postponement of the fight.
– Reaction… A little annoyance, then an acceptance of the situation, then a search for options on what to do next. I want to box, we are already in preparation. And such situations… It’s sport, it happens. I am neither the first nor the last to whom such situations happen.
— How did you learn about Beterbiev’s injury and, consequently, the postponement of the fight?
– I sleep. And somewhere around 3 a.m. there was a call from Turki’s assistant Al ash-Sheikh, who talked about Arthur’s injury and the postponement of the fight. And I respond sleepily: “Okay. What are we doing? Is there an option for us? He said they would think about it and we would talk about it later.
— Your fight with Betebiev was discussed for several years, but there were no serious options for the organization. Today, thanks to the Saudis, this fight became real, but then the injuries intervened. Do you believe your fight will ever happen?
— To be honest, I didn’t have time to philosophize. I have accepted the situation: this fight will not take place now. There will be another fight, we need other sparring partners. And the fight (with Beterbiev)… Well, not now, then later. What to do. Here, nothing depends on us.
– So you think your fight will take place?
– You just have to believe.
“Zinad?” Better than nothing”
— The name of Malik Zinad is mentioned as your new opponent. I admit that I have never heard of this boxer before.
— In my previous fight in Riyadh, he was also considered an opponent, but then they decided that Lyndon Arthur was more famous and also had a title (IBO). And Turki Al ash-Sheikh accepted the option with Arthur.
Zinad is now boxing for second place in the IBF rankings. They told us: “You can come with him”. And we said, “Better than nothing.” This is a rival of a different type with different anthropometric data. It’s boxing, you have to take it as it comes. It’s not always up to us, as I said before.
— How difficult was this situation for you?
“It’s difficult exactly to the extent that we allow ourselves to think it’s hard.” The fight was canceled. You just have to accept it and act on it.
— Have you corresponded with Beterbiev in recent days?
— Not only have I not corresponded with him in recent days (laughs).
— Is Malik Zinad the final option for the June 1 fight? (the interview was recorded on Sunday evening. – Note from )
— This point is currently under discussion. Yes, it has been announced, there is a will, but certain legal nuances need to be discussed. Everything will soon be known. A day or two. But today it is the most realistic option.
— What adjustments will you make to your camp?
— Sparring Partners must be of a different type. And that’s basically it. The rest goes according to the same plan.
— Turks Al ash-Sheikh expressed their desire to organize their fight with Beterbiev before the end of the year. Would it be optimal for you to enter the ring on June 1st and fight your next fight at the end of the year?
“For now, I consider this to be the best option.”
“I didn’t watch the Canelo fight, but I definitely will later”
— This weekend, Saul Alvarez defeated his compatriot Jaime Munguia by unanimous decision and defended his title as absolute super middleweight champion.
— To be honest, I haven’t watched this fight yet. I saw the cuts. Notably a long series performed by Munguia. And I saw how Munguia’s overthrow was counted backwards. But to be honest, I have no desire to suddenly jump into this fight, to plunge into it. I don’t want to get into this story. We have our own things to do.
— Has Saul Alvarez already completed a chapter of your biography?
— Not that it’s a proven option. Why now overload yourself with other information that does not currently concern me? We are tired of our own problems. I had a tough week of sparring, and at the weekend I took a break from boxing and tried to unload, but immediately jumped in after the fight was canceled . Many wrote about the fight being canceled, what did they buy tickets for, what should they do, etc. I will definitely watch the fight (Canelo vs. Munguia), but later, maybe after my fight.
— By the way, is it difficult to respond to such messages from people who were going to fight with Beterbiev?
—Somehow you are trying to get rid of this responsibility. It’s not my fault, I had something to do with it. Believe me, my head is racing right now – but what should I do now… Will there be a fight or not, will Zinad agree, what is all this for will it look like? Basically, I have the ability to move from not particularly important moments to important moments.
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Source : MatchTV

I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.