Former UFC champion Israel Adesanya has locked in his picks for this weekend’s highly anticipated boxing event in Saudi Arabia. Under the guidance of Turki Alalshikh, the event boasts a stacked lineup, headlined by the light heavyweight showdown between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. Another notable bout on the card features Joseph Parker taking on Martin Bakole, who stepped in as a short-notice replacement.
Bivol, who previously showcased his technical prowess in a win against Canelo Alvarez, is looking to do something similar at the second time of asking against the unbeaten Beterbiev. Their first fight was so close that many felt Bivol was robbed of a win. So naturally, Alalshikh didn’t waste any time securing the rematch.
Meanwhile, Parker faces an uphill battle against Bakole, a dangerous opponent with tremendous KO power. Parker will have to be on his toes the entire fight because just one good punch from Bakole could end the fight early.
Meanwhile, Adesanya, always calculated in his approach both inside and outside the octagon, has put his money on Bivol and Parker to emerge victorious. The ex-middleweight king has placed a $10,000 wager on both fighters to win via decision. If his bet pays off, he stands to collect an estimated $65,000 in winnings.
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With high stakes in play, Adesanya’s picks reflect his confidence in the tactical abilities of both Bivol and Parker. It will be interesting to see if ‘The Last Stylebender‘ can turn his keen fight analysis into a major payout, especially since Bivol and Beterbiev are so evenly matched on paper.
A preview of Bivol vs. Beterbiev
Beterbiev secured a majority decision victory over Bivol last October, adding the WBA belt to his collection of WBC, WBO, and IBF titles. That fight marked the first time Beterbiev went the distance, ending his impressive streak of 20 consecutive knockout victories.
Despite his victory, Beterbiev knew he was far too close to losing than he would have liked to. Expressing dissatisfaction with his own performance, Beterbiev, at the time had said, “I wanted to box today with more quality. I don’t know why, but I didn’t like this fight. But I’ll be better one day.”
Meanwhile, this was a break in Bivol’s undefeated win streak, despite landing more punches (142 to 137) and being more efficient. But he’s not holding it against the judges. Instead, he is prepared to take Beterbiev on one more time, something he admits not many people get in life.
Speaking further about the impermanence of opportunities, Bivol said, “I have another chance… People liked the first fight, and they want to see it again. I have to work for it.”
The former WBA light heavyweight and super light heavyweight champion also claims that there wasn’t much to learn from the fight, except that he needed to be more decisive and work on his endurance.
With only a few hours to go for D-Day, Adesanya will hope Bivol has done exactly that.
In the co-main event, former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker will take on Martin Bakole. Parker was initially set to face IBF champion Daniel Dubois, who withdrew from the fight due to illness.
Parker is riding a five-fight winning streak, including decision victories over Deontay Wilder in 2023 and Zhilei Zhang last March.
Bakole, on the other hand, has won 10 consecutive fights since his 2018 loss to Michael Hunter, including a notable knockout victory over Jared Anderson last August.
With high-profile matchups and championship implications on the line, this event promises to be a thrilling night of boxing.
