Beterbiev has been making quick work of his opponents in professional boxing since turning pro in recent years.
The light-heavyweight champion from Russia is looked at as a machine and has a 100 per cent knockout ratio record of 20-0-20 KO so far.
Speaking on past fights with DAZN on getting to the Bivol fight and more, Beterbiev and the interviewer exchanged questions and answers as follows:
“You know, it’s my first belt. When I get my first belt, it brings back good memories. I remember that time was a little bit difficult in boxing for me, but the most important thing is the happy ending. I got my first belt, and I always try to follow my corner’s advice. My corner told me it was time to finish this fight, and I tried to finish it. It happened at that time; my first belt feels really different from my other fights.
Yeah, preparing was hard; the training was everything right there. Here we go, 12 rounds of boxing in a battle of undefeated world champions for the unified WBC and IBF Light Heavyweight Championship of the World. He’s chopping hands at close distance. These are the rounds—45 seconds to try to get out of this round. He landed a good jab right there, but then he just took the left hand from Artur and went down for the second time. Right now, he’s throwing the right hand; he just threw a big right hand, but Beterbiev refuses to back down, and this fight is over.
Artur is the unified Light Heavyweight Champion of the World. His second fight for a second belt is a little bit different because he already has experience. He has one belt, and for Alexander Gvozdyk, I already had a fight with him in the amateurs, so I know him very well. It’s a tough fight, like you know, in round 10. I think it’s still this fight, but it was a good fight that time.
Did you feel, after that fight, that you’d really established yourself on the world scene? Did you feel like your eyes were set on the road to undisputed, and that you could then go on and fight the very best out there?
No, no, no. After the fight, I forget everything because I’m a boxer. I forget, and I start again to do my job, to train and prepare for the next fight. When everything is like your past, you take it in front of you and try to do something good. I believe that you need to take everything back and go forward to do something good.
For the WBC, IBF, and WBO Light Heavyweight Championships of the World, Joe Smith wants to fight toe-to-toe here with Beterbiev, clapping his gloves together. Beterbiev is landing his hard shots; he doesn’t want to let up.
Oh! Joe Smith is down in round two. Those are some chopping right hands from Beterbiev, and an uppercut as well. I mean, he punches with bad intentions. Joe Smith is getting the worst of it. Another knockdown as the ropes hold up Joe Smith here in round two. Beterbiev remains calm, going back to the stick, using a double jab, and then landing the big right uppercut. That one has Joe Smith hurt. It is over! Arthur Beterbiev is now the three-belt world champion at Light Heavyweight.
You know, with every fight, I have some stories, like some injuries. Even as we prepare for a fight, we expect it to go later into the rounds, like into the tenth or something, but not in the first round. We didn’t expect to win this fight in the first round. He attacked me right away, and I was a little bit confused. I stepped back, stepped to the side, and tried to counter. I caught him with a counter punch.
Our main event participants, Dmitry Bivol and Arthur Beterbiev, will be competing in a scheduled 12-round contest for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championships of the World. You know, it’s my goal to fight him. He has another belt, the fourth belt, and I need him. I will prepare 100% and stay focused 100% for this fight. I’ve been on this road since I got my first belt. I’m here now.
It’s happening now. I’m happy. Undisputed has never been done at Light Heavyweight before. This is a chance at history to further cement a legacy you’ve already achieved. Will it feel extra special to achieve that? For me, it’s my goal right now to be the Undisputed World Champion. Unification is not just a dream for me; it’s my dream right now.”
Beterbiev takes on Bivol next weekend October 12th in Saudi Arabia.
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