Buffalo Vs. Beterbiev II: Fear or fight?

Dmitry Bivol is working on his strength to improve and increase his strength for his rematch with undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev on February 22 in Riyadh.

Two months ago, Beterbiev defeated Bivol by majority decision in 12 rounds, but he is getting a second chance due to complaints from fans and Dmitry's promoters. There was no real controversy. In short, Bivol's nerves did not last and he did not want to fight Beterbiev.

Beterbiev dominated and deservedly won 8-4. I watched the fight and had 9-3 for Beterbiev.

The results

115-113: Beterbiev
114-114
116-112: Beterbiev

Second round

Dmitri looked like scared rabbit in the previous battle and was unwilling to fight with wolf-like Beterbiev under pressure in the sixth round. It's hard to imagine the rematch being any different than the first fight because Bivol lacks the chin, the strength and, more importantly, the guts to stand up and fight Beterbiev.

Dmitri talks about wanting to be more aggressive for the second contest, but when he steps into the ring with Beterbiev and the artillery starts raining down on his position, Buffalo's fear will resurface. He will then run around the ring like last time, making it boring for the fans to watch. He has no heart for battle.

Former WBA 175-lb champion Bivolu (23-1, 14 KOs) was lacking in his power game in his 12-round decision loss to Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) two months ago on October 12. He needs to build on that area if he wants to have a chance of winning the rematch.

Turki Al-Shiekh gave Buffalo a chance to avenge their loss, but if they are beaten this time, their chances will be over. His promoters and loyal fans screamed at the loss last October, believing he had done enough to win, but he hadn't.

Ideally, another opponent should have been allowed to challenge Beterbiev instead of sending him back with an unnecessary rematch. The boxing world would rather David Benavidez, Joshua Buazzi or David Morel face Beterbiev than the defensive-minded Bivolu get another chance.

Bivol's corrections

The Beterbiev-Bivolo fight was boring because of the defensive style that Bivolo brought to the fight, which included Shakur's use of the Shakur-style step back, movement and clinch. Beterbiev did the whole fight by attacking and chasing Buffalo rabbits around the ring.

The 34-year-old Bivol escaped when Beterbiev began to push him in the second half of the race. He showed he didn't want to be in the mix with the undefeated unified champion.

What must Buffalo do to win the rematch?

– Stay in pocket: Don't run away
– Be brave
– Hit more
– Attack the body
– Limit movement

Bivol is not young at 34 years old and cannot move for 12 consecutive rounds to avoid Beterbiev's attacks. We saw this last time they fought, and it cost him when he got vaporized due to his decision to run away when he was pressured by Arthur.

Buffalo equalizes for the second leg 📈#BetterbievBivol2 | #RiyadhSeason | February 22, live on DAZN | @Turki_alalshikh

📸 @bivol_d pic.twitter.com/yjXFzgaHB7

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 31, 2024