Where, When To Watch Beterbiev vs Bivol Saturday

After several delays, anticipation peaks this week as boxing’s most anticipated fight finally (fingers crossed) takes place: Beterbiev vs Bivol.

Grand arrivals took place today in Saudi Arabia, with a full schedule of activities planned leading up to Saturday’s bout.

When Dmitry Bivol of St. Petersburg, Russia (23-0, 12 KOs) and Artur Beterbiev of Montreal, Quebec, Canada (20-0, 20 KOs) finally meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 12, the winner becomes the unified, undisputed light heavyweight champion. This man makes history as the first four-belt light heavyweight champion in boxing.

U.S. fans have an option for watching the main event, and it’s a wrinkle causing some confusion about how to watch Beterbiev vs Bivol.

Because Top Rank Boxing is the co-promoter of Artur Beterbiev, the main event will air in the United States on ESPN-Plus. There will be no additional pay-per-view fee to watch if you’re an ESPN-Plus subscriber. If you’re not, the monthly fee is $10.99.

But on ESPN-Plus, the main event is the ONLY part of the card you’ll see. It should occur at approximately 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, but keep an eye on the timeline Saturday,

The undercard is being shown via DAZN in the U.S. and in the UK.

UPDATE: As of Saturday morning, the undercard is now a PPV for $19.99, a last-minute switch. It airs exclusively on DAZN Boxing. Earlier reports of NO PPV were accurate. DAZN is taking enormous heat on this. Only you can decide whether the fee is worth it. I will be watching and posting updates on X/Twitter.

But for the main event, you must switch to ESPN-Plus. DAZN does not have any broadcast rights to the main event. The approximate time of the main event start in the U.S. is 3 p.m. ET/12 noon PT. This is approximately, so start monitoring earlier.

If you remember hearing about this being a PPV, you have a good memory. But when the fight featuring Shakur Stevenson was postponed due to an injury and surgery for Stevenson, the Saudi General Entertainment Authority decided to make the fight free for subscribers. You can purchase a single-month subscription for $19.99 – but that gets you the entire card and anything else airing this month.

Fight week Beterbiev vs Bivol schedule – times are local to Riyadh. For the US, subtract seven hours to Eastern Time, 10 hours to Pacific Time. Photo: Riyadh Season

Boxing’s Most Intriguing Fight in 2024

Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol at their original April 29 press conference to announce their undisputed World Light Heavyweight Title fight in Saudi Arabia, which was postponed to October 12. Photo: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing

It’s hard to imagine another unification fight with such high stakes and so evenly matched. Oddsmakers have floated just the slightest of edges for one man over the other and are just as likely to tile the odds the other direction. No doubt they will tile back again. It’s that close.

A devout Muslim, Artur Beterbiev honors his heritage during Grand Arrivals on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing

Will it be the fearsome power-punching Chechen with a perfect knockout rate, ending every single one of his 20 pro fights by stoppage?

Or will it be the master craftsman with a razor-sharp jab, hand speed, and the best footwork and movement seen in decades by a boxer of any size, much less someone at 175 pounds?

Dmitry Bivol participates in the Grand Arrivals event in Riyadh on Tuesday. Photo: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing

Will Beterbiev’s age (39) and string of nagging injuries and recent surgeries result in ring rust and too many miles off his boxing fastball?

Will Bivol knuckle under from the pressure and power of a relentless opponent and be his undoing? Bivol cannot afford to make a mistake against Beterbiev.

Both men understand the high stakes. Both men knew their paths would cross someday. Both say it is the moment they’ve worked for all their lives.

Heavyweight Rematch Headlines Beterbiev vs Bivol Undercard

The long-awaited British and Commonwealth heavyweight title fight between Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke ended in a draw on Sunday. Photo: Lawrence Lustig, Boxxer

The lineup leans heavily on popular British fighters, with a domestic heavyweight rematch of significant interest.

On March 31, Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke fought to a wildly entertaining draw after 12 bloody rounds of action. They’ll run it back for Wardley’s British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles, highly prized by UK fighters.

Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Clarke (8-0-1, 6 KOs) showed his amateur pedigree, using his jab in the early rounds to take charge of the pace and followed by enough hard right hands to win the early rounds.

Wardley (17-0-1, 16 KOs), the bigger puncher and the more experienced man in the ring, sent big overhand shots past Clarke, who dodged them nicely. Clarke kept picking away at Wardley, who was cut on the bridge of his nose. The blood flow woke Wardley up. Near the end of the fifth round, Wardley scored the fight’s only knockdown.

Clarke survived and swung the fight back in his direction while his right eye started closing up from Wardley’s jab. Both men bit down and worked to exhaustion until hearing the final bell. The judges scored it 114-113 Wardley, 115-112 Clarke, and 113-113. Wardley retained the titles.

Jai Opetaia Stays Active

Jai Opetaia is a danger to every man in the cruiserweight division. Photo: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing.

Also on the undercard, the top fighter in the cruiserweight division, Jai Opetaia of Australia (25-0, 19 KOs), faces Jack Massey of the UK (22-2, 12 KOs), with Opetaia’s lineal/IBF cruiserweight titles on the line.

Massey won the Commonwealth and EBU European Cruiserweight regional titles with a narrow decision over Isaac Chamberlain in June. Now he cashes in as an opponent for Opetaia, who will go through Massey like a knife through butter.

Chris Eubank Jr. arrives under the Boxxer banner for his fight Saturday on the Beterbiev vs Bivol undercard. Photo: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing

Chris Eubank Jr. (33-3, 24 KOs) will try to make himself relevant in a middleweight division shy on talent against the journeyman Kamil Szeremeta of Poland (25-2-2, 8 KOs). Now signed with Boxxer, Eubank Jr. made news when he scorched his former promoters Frank Warren, Eddie Heearn, and Kalle Sauerland, then promptly issued a retraction. No doubt after hearing from Warren’s lawyers.

Ben Whittaker is loaded with talent and with attitude. Photo: Lawrence Lustig, Boxxer

Polarizing light heavyweight prospect Ben Whittaker (8-0, 5 KOs) vs. Liam Cameron of Sheffield (23-6- 10 KOs). Whittaker, the Tokyo 2020 silver medalist for Team GB, tends to play with his food and fight down to the level of his opposition. He needs to think a bit less about entertaining himself and start delivering entertaining performances, and this fight against a journeyman whose only notable fight was a decision loss to Lyndon Arthur in June is tailor-made for Whittaker.

Sky Nicholson will appear in the first Riyadh Season women’s championship bout on the Beterbiev vs Bivol undercard. Photo: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing

The only championship fight on the undercard is the first women’s pro fight since Ramla Ali fought on a Saudi card before the Riyadh Season series began. WBC World Featherweight champion Skye Nicolson of Australia (11-0, 1 KO) defends her title against Raven Chapman of England (9-0, 2 KOs). Chapman has been blowing past her opponents with wide scorecards since her pro debut in 2021, but she will face someone at a much higher level in Nicolson.

Young Saudi boxer Mohammed Alakel makes his professional debut in the opening four-round bout against Jesus Gonzalez of Colombia (3-2). The lightweight Alakai is trained by the respected British Boxing Hall of Fame trainer Joe Gallagher, where Alakai shares the gym with Natasha Jonas and Jack Massey.