Artur Beterbiev - Dmitry Bivol live online, round by round, stats and updates
Beterbiev - Bivol LIVE
The right hand from Nicolson catches Chapman and that seems to push the challenger to really come forward in a much bigger way. Nicolson is looking far less comfortable, but still in control. Chapman moves and throws and gets caught again with another counter.
This was perhaps the last chance that Raven Chapman has to do anything big in this fight. She hasn't wobbled Skye Nicolson, or even really bothered her. The rounds are slipping away and if she doesn't start to get the Champs attention right now, then this fight will slip through her fingers.
Chapman lands a nice right to the midriff and that seems to get Nicolson’s attention. They clinch, and Chapman manages to get a few more shots in. Much better from her.
Chapman lands a nice little right hand and she really needs to get something going now. Nicolson is very comfortable and this is beginning to look like a sparring session for her.
The script is continuing as it has been throughout the entire fight. Nicolson is cruising and comfortable and while Chapman is aggressive, nothing is really landing.
There's still not very much in this fight. Very few punches are being thrown and even fewer are landing. The quality shots are coming from Nicolson, but the volume is coming from Chapman.
Nicholson is looking very comfortable, very confident. She's no longer moving to evade Chapman, she's now moving to set up counter shots.
A nice left uppercut from the champ draws and appreciative sound from the crowd. She seems to be often cruising in this fight.
Chapman is still coming forward throwing but missing. Nicolson is very mobile, slipping side to side and really getting her timing down. As this fight wears on, the counter punch from the champ seems to be more and more likely.
Chapman is far busier, but the shots that are landing are coming from Nicolson.
Chapman is staying on the front foot moving forward but Nicholson is now very much more mobile than in the opening rounds. She's beginning to really find the angles and the moments, responding well and becoming far more set with that left hand.
A nice right catches Nicolson, drawing a smile from the champ.
Both fighters are struggling to find combinations throwing single punches. A left catches Nicolson drawing a furious response, but again only a single shot lands.
A nice write from Chapman Lance and it seems to wake Skye Nicolson up. Now the champ is throwing back, getting a little busier, making that heavy left do its work.
Nicolson is becoming more mobile moving horizontally slipping to the side and now she lands a very nice left uppercut. This is more of what we need out of the champ.
Chapman is game, coming forward being more aggressive and finally after three rounds she's being made to pay for that aggression. A good round from Nicolson.
In between rounds, Nicolson’s trainer Eddie Lam tells her that nothing really happened, that neither fighter really landed anything. He tells her to start feinting a bit, and try to land a little bit more.
Chapman comes ahead more aggressively, willing to switch stances, working orthodox and then quickly changing to southpaw and back again. Nicolson is remaining calm, keeping her cool.
Again not much happens, with Nicolson doing a very good job of making Chapman miss, but not yet making her pay.
This is the first ever woman's world championship bout fought in Saudi Arabia. For as much as the Kingdom takes criticism, often rightly so, about their attitude towards women in sports, this can be seen as a big step forward.
Nicholson comes out and takes the center of the ring but Chapman is quick and twitchy. Nicholson is awkward working from that southpaw stance, but Chapman is not awed in any way.
These two ladies work very fast and in this two minute round the time flies by. Good work by both.
Skye Nicolson vs. Raven Chapman [WBC featherweight title]
Then we move on to a women's world title fight as Skye Nicholson will defend her WBC featherweight belt against Raven Chapman. This bout is scheduled for ten two-minute rounds.
I have to say that Ben Whittaker got off very lucky with that decision. He was well on his way to taking his first career loss, and Liam Cameron was handing him far more than he could handle. Whittaker won the first two rounds, but was caught in the third, fourth and fifth. It seemed as if the traffic was all one way.
I'm not prepared yet to say that Whittaker pulled Cameron over the ropes, but I'm not willing to rule it out either.
Either way a very lucky escape for Ben Whittaker. He was well on his way to becoming 8-1.
Here’s how much money is on the line for the two fighters when the action gets underway on Saturday.
Technical decision: Split Draw
Whitaker is now being wheeled off in a wheelchair. With him unable to continue it goes to the scorecards.
Steve Gray scores at 58-57 in favor of Whittaker
Kieran McCann scores at 58-57 to Cameron
Mark Bates scores it 58-58 creating a technical decision. Split draw!
This fight is insane!
The cynical amongst us may say that Ben Whittaker perhaps did this to end the fight early. He was looking entirely out of sorts and this fight was perhaps slipping away from him. If they can't continue it'll go to the scorecards as they stand. With those early round victories perhaps Whittaker felt that he could still win it.
I'm not saying that that's what happened, but this is definitely not very good.
Ben Whittaker is now sat in the corner with his boot off and they are un-gloving him. This fight will definitely not continue. Where we go from here is anyone's guess.
Liam Cameron it's really warmed into this fight. He comes out throwing his hands and lands are solid overhand right that knocks Whittaker's gum shield out.
It looks as if Whittaker's finally realizing that he is in the professional ranks. His first eight fights he won so easily he looked to be a level above everyone around him. But now it looks as if he's being shown that his opposition is more than able to deal with him.
Whittaker settles down and gets behind his jabs, working his way back into the fight. A little blood begins to trickle from Cameron's nose. Whittaker is the better tactician, but right now none of that is being shown. Cameron is simply plotting his way forward pounding straight jabs and right hands.
Ohh my word! Just as the round ends the two fighters clinch and lean on to the ropes, with both of them tumbling backwards over the top rope! A full somersault and they land on the apron after the bell!
It's hard to say whether Cameron pushed or Whittaker pulled, but it could have been a little bit of both. Both fighters looked to be a little bit buzzed by it and Ben Whittaker is very, very slow getting up.
No showboating yet from Ben Whittaker as he tries to get back to basics and regain control of this fight. Liam Cameron keeps coming forward, plodding, moving slowly, coming ahead, landing sharp jabs and hooks to the body.
Whittaker is looking a little out of sorts, not only not showboating but looking to be unsure of what to do next. There were reports that he changed his gloves shortly before coming out of his dressing room, so perhaps something is feeling a little off for Ben Whittaker.
Liam Cameron was roundly expected to lose this fight easily. That is certainly not happening right now.
Ben Whittaker comes out round three letting his hands fly a little bit more freely going both upstairs and down, but Cameron can take a lot of punishment. Cameron comes back with a very nice straight right. Ohh Whittaker is caught! Just as he's dancing moving looking as if he may try to slice and dice, Cameron lands a very nice hard right that just stunned Whittaker.
He catches his breath reestablishes his feet and gets back to jabbing and moving. Those early bouts where Whittaker could simply dance around and humiliate opponents may have given way as he has now upped the level of opposition. Liam Cameron is no fool. When he sees an opening he takes it.
Whittaker has to go back to his basics punching jabbing sticking trying to work Cameron back onto the ropes and win points. This is not the kind of fight that Whittaker wants, but it looks to be the type of fight that he finds himself in.
Second round and Liam Cameron comes out trying to get back on the front foot, taking the center of the ring and letting his hands fly. Whittaker is very slippery, and has outstanding defensive skills. Cameron is coming forward and throwing his hands but he really needs to be careful here that he doesn't walk onto something from Ben Whittaker.
A nice one too from Cameron sees Whittaker slip and come back. And now it's Whittaker who is caught with a lovely left hook from Cameron as he comes forward. Better from Cameron in that round.
Whittaker comes out looking sharp and Liam Cameron while he is perhaps not at the same level it's certainly no slouch. Whittaker takes the center of the ring and shows off some of his skill that got him the silver medal in the Olympics. While he may be flash and divisive dancing around and humiliating opponents, the truth of the matter is that Whittaker has true skill and can really be a great fighter and here we see flashes of that.
Cameron covers up and just takes it as Whittaker unleashes a very nice left hook to the body. That overhand right lands and that's really where he's going to make his mark if he stops Cameron early here.
Very good opening round from Whittaker.
Ben Whittaker vs. Liam Cameron
Now we join the main undercard with a tasty matchup between unbeaten Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron at light heavyweight. This bout is scheduled for ten rounds.
Preliminary results
Marco Maric vs. Christian Lopez Flores
American debutant Marco Maric defeated Mexican journeyman Christian Lopez Flores with a solid performance over four rounds to get a unanimous decision, winning every round on every judges’ card.
Mohammaed Alakel vs. Jesus Gonzalez
Local Saudi fighter Alakel made his professional debut against a tough Colombian opponent in Gonzalez, getting the unanimous decision in four rounds to start off on the right foot.
The preliminary bouts are underway in the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We will bring you the results of those as they happen before we join the round-by-round coverage of the main undercard with Ben Whittaker vs Liam Cameron.
The Full Card
Main Card
Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol [IBF, WBC, WBO and WBA light heavyweight titles]
Fabio Wardley vs. Frazer Clarke
Jai Opetaia vs. Jack Massey [IBF cruiserweight title]
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Kamil Szeremeta
Skye Nicolson vs. Raven Chapman [WBC featherweight title]
Ben Whittaker vs. Liam Cameron
Mohammaed Alakel vs. Jesus Gonzalez
Marco Maric vs. Christian Lopez Flores
The main undercard is set to get underway at 12pm ET / 9am PT.
Tale of the tape
Artur Beterbiev
Age: 39
Country: Russia
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5ft 11.5in
Reach: 73”
Record: 20-0-0
Dmitry Bivol
Age: 33
Country: Russia
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 6ft 0in
Reach: 72”
Record: 23-0-0
WELCOME!!!
Welcome to Diario AS USA’s live coverage of the undisputed world light heavyweight title bout between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
For years, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol have dominated the light heavyweight division, leaving boxing fans eagerly anticipating a showdown between the two. Finally, after plenty of anticipation and some delays, the fight is on! This is a long-awaited clash of two undefeated champions. Beterbiev, with his relentless knockout power, and Bivol, the methodical technician, are prepared to put it all on the line. What was once a distant dream for fight fans is now reality, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
Beterbiev’s reputation is built on raw power. With a perfect 20-0 record, every one of his victories has come by stoppage, making him the only champion in boxing with a 100% knockout rate. Many see him as a pure brawler, but he’s far from one-dimensional. His amateur background, where he won European and world championships, shows that he's also a highly skilled tactician. Since turning professional, he’s been a wrecking ball in the division, capturing his first world title in 2017 when he stopped Enrico Kolling with just seconds left in the final round.
His dominance only grew from there. In 2019, Beterbiev added the WBC title to his IBF belt by dismantling Oleksandr Gvozdyk in a fight that solidified his place as one of the most feared fighters in the sport. More recently, he destroyed Joe Smith Jr. in just two rounds, adding the WBO belt to his collection, and successfully defended his titles against Anthony Yarde and Callum Smith. He’s a fighter who seems to get stronger with each round, always hunting for that knockout, and it’s hard to imagine anyone being able to stand up to his power for long.
On the other side of the ring, Dmitry Bivol brings a different style, one rooted in precision and strategy. Bivol’s path to his WBA championship was a complicated one, filled with interim and "regular" titles before he was finally elevated to full WBA "super" champion in 2019. But it wasn’t until he took on Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, one of the biggest names in boxing, that he truly burst onto the global scene. Bivol’s dominant performance against Alvarez, where he controlled the fight from start to finish, cemented him as one of the best in the division.
Bivol, like Beterbiev, has an impressive undefeated record, but his victories come more through precision than power, with only 12 of his 23 wins coming by knockout. His methodical approach, along with his ability to neutralize his opponents’ strengths, makes him a difficult puzzle to solve in the ring. His win over Canelo was a perfect example of that, as he used tight defense and well-timed counters to hand the Mexican superstar just the second loss of his career.
Now, the stage is set for Beterbiev and Bivol to finally meet, and this fight promises to be an intense battle between two contrasting styles - Beterbiev’s crushing power against Bivol’s calculated precision. With both fighters eyeing undisputed status, and the possibility of facing David Morrell or David Benavidez looming for the winner, this could be a fight for the ages. Meanwhile, on the undercard, IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia faces Jack Massey in what promises to be an explosive co-main event. Opetaia is coming off a strong win over Mairis Briedis, and his power and adaptability make him another fighter to watch as the night unfolds.