Beterbiev holds the WBC, WBO, and IBF titles. He's known for his incredible power, with all 20 of his wins coming by knockout. That's a 100% knockout rate, making him the only current world champion with such a record. But he's got a few things working against him. He's older than Bivol and has been knocked down before.
On the other side, Bivol's got the WBA belt. He's a slick fighter with a great jab and smart attacks. He moves well in the ring and has never been knocked down. Bivol's biggest win came against Canelo Alvarez, who many thought was the best boxer in the world at the time.
Roy Jones Jr., who used to be a champion in four different weight classes, thinks Bivol has the edge. He told Boxing Social:
"No. It's not a 50/50 fight. One, Beterbiev is much older, Beterbiev has been down, Bivol has never been down. Bivol has been in there with who at the time was the pound-for-pound best in Canelo Alvarez and made him look like nothing. So it's not a 50/50. Beterbiev has got everything to show me to bring it back to a 50/50 fight. Right now, Bivol has the advantage 60/40. Now, Beterbiev is a hell of a guy and one hell of a fighter and has awesome power but he has also been down and they was i see it is if someone else has knocked you down then i've got to get you down, you understand me? Now it's one hell of a punch to walk through to get him down though, so it's a very dangerous game to play because Beterbiev is the best punch probably ever in that division, so it's a great fight."
Jones Jr. knows what he's talking about. He was the last man to hold all the belts in the light-heavyweight division. But he also knows Beterbiev's power makes him dangerous. Many think Beterbiev might have the hardest punch ever seen in the division.
The fight promises to be a great one. Bivol's skills against Beterbiev's power. The winner will be the undisputed champion, holding all four major belts. Fans can't wait to see who comes out on top in October.