Artur Beterbiev will target WBA champion Dmitry Bivol and the undisputed light-heavyweight world title next; Beterbiev defended the WBC, IBF and WBO titles with a destructive performance against Britain’s Callum Smith in Canada to remain undefeated and declared: ‘I need a fourth belt!’
Artur Beterbiev will target Dmitry Bivol and the undisputed light-heavyweight world title next.
Beterbiev defended his unified WBC, IBF and WBO 175lb titles when he halted Callum Smith in seven rounds in Quebec City this weekend.
Bivol, the WBA champion, holds the only other major belt in the division and that is the fight Beterbiev wants next.
Yes, of course,” he said. “I need a fourth belt. It would mean a lot to me.
“It’s the top,” he added. “It would mean in this category I have done work.”
His promoter, Top Rank’s Bob Arum is confident Beterbiev vs Bivol can be made.
“It’s not done yet. But absolutely we wa
It could take place in the summer, as Beterbiev will observe Ramadan first.
“Ramadan is coming. Ramadan ends some time in the middle of April so about three months after the end of Ramadan we’ll be ready to fight Bivol, probably in Riyadh,” Arum said.
nt to do it,” he said.