Artur Beterbiev faces Dmitry Bivol this weekend with the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles on the line. The first fight was as close an encounter as any with many, including Turki Alalshikh questioning Beterbiev’s victory over Bivol.
This was also the first time Beterbiev went the full distance with an opponent in his career and still failed to knock him out. So, when he steps into the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he will be hoping to put all the doubters to rest. Both fighters are intriguing pugilists with really interesting backgrounds.
However, every time Beterbiev fights, one of the most common questions people ask is: Is he Muslim?
Of course, the answer should have very little to do with how people perceive him but his faith in god seemed to have been a dictating factor in how his life has measured up so far. And if Beterbiev is to be believed, it will continue to do so.
Beterbiev‘s journey began in Khasavyurt, Dagestan. Born on January 21, 1985, he was the youngest of five brothers. And as it so often happens, brothers fight!
Interestingly, however, his fights were more than just squabbles with his older brothers. Unfortunately, his early years were marked by the channeling of that energy toward street fights! So much so, at one point his brothers had had enough and decided to load him off boxing and wrestling coaches in the region.
The light heavyweight champion was about 10 or 11 at the time. It didn’t immediately turn him into a different person, since he kept getting in trouble, including being temporarily expelled from training for his unruly behavior.
However, every time he would get kicked out, young Artur would persistently return to the gym, eager to continue honing his skills. This relentless pursuit of excellence is still seen today in his journey as a pro boxer. Of course, as he grew older and his faith became stronger, so did his commitment to the sport.
Religion and ethnicity
Beterbiev is a devout Muslim. His faith in Allah and the teaching of the Quran have profoundly influenced his life and boxing career.
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His commitment to Islam has also managed to instill in him a strong sense of discipline, evident in his rigorous training and lifestyle choices. “I don’t know how non-Muslim people live,” he admits.
Explaining how his faith in god influences his work ethic, Beterbiev says, “The first time I met my coach Marc Ramsay, he told me he wished he had more Muslim boxers because they have discipline. They don’t drink, they don’t smoke, they go to bed early.“
Coach Ramsay is not wrong. The greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali was Muslim. The greatest mixed martial artists of our generation like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev are mostly of the Islamic faith.
This is not to say there is an inherent connection between Islam and excellence in combat sports, but if it works, it works!
