The undisputed light-heavyweight title bout between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol has been postponed due to an injury to Beterbiev.
Originally slated for June 1 in Saudi Arabia, the match-up was set to determine the world’s number one 175lb fighter after years of respective dominance from the undefeated pair.
However, boxing fans will now be forced to wait a while longer after it was announced that Beterbiev, 39, had suffered a ruptured meniscus in training leading to the postponement of the fight.
A statement from Top Rank, promoter of Beterbiev, read:
“The highly anticipated undisputed light heavyweight world title showdown between WBC/IBF/WBO champion Artur Beterbiev and WBA ruler Dmitry Bivol — scheduled for Saturday, June 1 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — has been postponed after Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus in training.”
The plan is to reschedule Beterbiev-Bivol before the end of the year, and additional details will be provided in due course.”
The injury delay is the latest in an, at times, frustrating career for the fearsome Beterbiev.
His TKO7 win over Callum Smith on January 13 came after the original date was pushed back due to a bone infection in his jaw, while his previous fight, a January 2023 TKO8 against Britain’s Anthony Yarde, was also rescheduled from its original October 2022 date.
The news of Beterbiev-Bivol’s postponement has been met with disappointment from boxing fans across the world, who have, for years, clamoured for a meeting between two of the sport’s premier combatants.