Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol are set to face off again this Saturday in a light heavyweight championship rematch. The fight comes just four months after Beterbiev won by majority decision to become the undisputed champion in the division.
Legendary boxing trainer turned pundit Teddy Atlas believes Bivol will turn the tables this time around. Atlas got it wrong in the first fight when he picked Bivol to win, but he's sticking to his guns for the rematch.
"Full transparency and I take pride in that, the first time I picked Bivol I was wrong. I was the first one to say Beterbiev won the fight. I didn't play that game and say he got a gift."
Atlas shared his thoughts on his YouTube channel, explaining why he thinks Bivol will come out on top in the second encounter.
"At the end of the day, I'm going with the old analogy, you take the test the second time you already got the answers."
Atlas points out that Beterbiev is getting a little older, while Bivol now has the experience from their first fight. He expects Bivol to perform even better this time around.
"He got an A last time, but against this guy you need an A+."
The first fight was a close 50-50 bout that split boxing fans. Atlas believes the rematch will be another great fight between two warriors with different styles.
"I love both guys. That's what makes a great fight, you can make an argument for both guys."
One factor that could play a role is that Beterbiev has had more time to repair and rehab his knee since their last meeting. The fight has generated significant interest, with even unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk weighing in with his own prediction.
With two elite fighters squaring off again, fans can expect another action-packed battle for light heavyweight supremacy this Saturday night.
