‘Both Are Great’: Canelo Alvarez Weighs In on Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2

Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol are set to battle it out in a rematch on February 22 in the first boxing event of the year. The first fight between them was so close that half the world was divided about the judges’ decision to award Beterbiev the win. The second fight is expected to be just as close and even if there’s a hope that it will be decided inside the ring, nobody is willing to predict a winner, not even the usually opinionated Canelo Alvarez.

When asked how he thought the fight would play out, Canelo avoided a direct answer and only predicted that it would be similar to their first encounter, at least for those watching

“It’s going to be a really good fight again. Both are great fighters. Yeah”

The first time the two fought was in October 2024. Both boxers entered the ring undefeated but by the end of it, Beterbiev had extended his record to 21-0, while Bivol had been reduced to 23-1.

It was judged 114-114, 115-113, and 116-112 in Beterbiev’s favor, who while managing to hand Bivol his first career loss, also failed to finish his opponent the first time ever.

After the fight, Bivol acknowledged Beterbiev’s power. Beterbiev, on the other hand, considered himself lucky to have outlanded Bivol 90-86. He had also called it a tough night and credited his opponent for being a world champion.

“Of course it’s a tough fight, because Dmitry (is) a world champion too. He has good skills, maybe better than me. But today, Allah chose me.”

Bivol, even though he was disappointed, didn’t want to use any excuses to explain the loss. He instead congratulated Beterbiev.

“I am a warrior. I have to do everything perfect. And I don’t have an explanation because it could look like excuses. I just (say) congratulations to Artur and his team. He deserves it.”

Both fighters were also quick to respond to the rematch demands from the fans and practically agreed to it on the spot. Beterbiev pointed to Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and one of the most important men in boxing right now, and said that if he wanted to make it happen, it would.

Bivol was simply happy to do it because of his dream of being the undisputed champion.

Predictions for February 2022

The blueprint for the rematch is expected to be the exact same as it was for the first fight, with a minor change. Beterbiev is expected to start throwing haymakers from the get-go instead of waiting for the second half of the fight to make it interesting. He was seen slogging with a sledgehammer to train for the fight, further focussing on his power.

Beterbiev’s power punches in the second half of the fight effectively changed the course of the match and got him the nod from the judges. It is hard to see a different result in the rematch if he adopts this approach earlier in the fight.

Bivol, on the other hand, is a far more technically gifted boxer, who had Beterbiev on the ropes for so long that fight analysts like David Benavidez claimed he should have won it that night. He will not be looking to do anything drastically different. His defense has always been key to his game but it also often throws him at the mercy of judges who value it.

Hopefully, he can find another gear to his game and ensure that not being knocked out by Beterbiev isn’t the only win he takes from the night again.