Bivol dispatches Zinad, to face Beterbiev next
Dmitry Bivol Beats Malik Zinad, Next Up: Artur Beterbiev
Mike Coppinger is an insider for boxing at ESPN and wrote a blog post on June 2nd, 2024 at 12:16 AM.
Dmitry Bivol managed to obtain his first stoppage victory in ten fights on Saturday by securing a sixth-round TKO against Malik Zinad. This ensured that Bivol retained his WBA light heavyweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Bivol (23-0, 11 KOs) has a big fight coming up on October 12th. He'll be facing Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed light heavyweight championship in Riyadh. This news was revealed by Turki Alalshikh, who is the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.
Bivol and Beterbiev had a match scheduled for Saturday but unfortunately, Beterbiev had to go through surgery last month to recover from a ruptured meniscus. Due to this, Zinad from Libya (whose record stands at 22-1 with 16 knockouts) replaced Beterbiev in less than a month leading up to the fight which made him the underdog in his first-ever world title attempt.
Bivol, aged 33, knocked down Zinad in the first round with a set of three punches and continued to outmaneuver him for the following four rounds.
During Round 6, the Russian boxer successfully landed a left hook on Zinad which caused him to stagger. Bivol, not wasting any time, followed up with a rapid succession of punches while pushing Zinad against the ropes. The referee quickly intervened and stopped the match at 2 minutes and 6 seconds, as Zinad was unable to defend himself.
Bivol expressed his confidence in his abilities by stating that he believes his power is always present with him. He did not hesitate or second-guess himself, for he knows that his strength and skills never falter.
Bivol has defeated the top athlete in this sport, Canelo Alvarez, and is currently ranked as the fifth-best pound-for-pound boxer by ESPN. He possesses exceptional footwork and has exceptional control over the distance with his jabs, making him one of the best in the world.
Alalshikh expressed to Bivol that he is considered one of the top fighters in the sport and has earned the opportunity that is being presented. A total of four or five significant matches are being offered to Bivol. The intention is to have him compete against notable opponents such as David Benavidez, Jai Opetaia, and other challenging fighters.
Both fights have the potential to be great, but the October fight against Beterbiev is the most enticing. Beterbiev, a 39-year-old Russian boxer, has never gone without knocking out his opponent. He is ranked just behind Bivol on ESPN's list of the best pound-for-pound boxers. The Bivol fight has been a highly anticipated match in the boxing world for years.
