Artur Beterbiev

Artur Beterbiev, born January 21, 1985, in Khasavyurt, Dagestan, Russia, is a professional boxer known for his power and technical skills. As an amateur, Beterbiev established a highly impressive record, securing victories in major tournaments such as the 2006 and 2010 European Championships and the 2009 World Championships. He turned professional in 2013, making an immediate impact in the light heavyweight division. With his knockout power and precision, Beterbiev won his first major title, the IBF light heavyweight championship, against Enrico Kölling in 2017. He then claimed the WBC light heavyweight title in a unification bout against Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 2019.

Later on, he defended his titles against notable contenders such as Adam Deines, Marcus Browne, and Joe Smith Jr in 2021 and 2022. Despite facing a few challenges, Beterbiev has managed to keep his unbeaten record intact, with all victories coming by way of knockout. In 2023, he also successfully defended his titles against Anthony Yarde, marking yet another dominant performance in his impressive career.

In terms of honors, Beterbiev’s unification fight against Gvozdyk was named the 2019 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.

In a dazzling display of prowess, Artur Beterbiev, the reigning WBC, IBF, and WBO champion, left an indelible mark by securing a savage seventh-round stoppage against the former world champion, Callum Smith. This resounding victory, coupled with his flawless knockout record, set the stage for a showdown with Dmitry Bivol.

Artur Beterbiev hunts down his opponents with one of the most patient pressure games in the sport. Very subtle stepbacks to avoid punches and parries are easy to miss and will make many viewers underestimate his defensive prowess. Beterbiev will come forward without taking damage and without using much energy in the process by defending his opponent’s attacks very efficiently. All the while he will break down his opponent with a powerful jab that they don’t see coming. His pressure game is patient because he won’t throw his jab until he is in punching range where he doesn’t have to reach for his opponent and is a short shot they can’t react to. Once his opponent gets broken down by the jab, Beterbiev starts to bring in his power shots behind the jab to do damage. Beterbiev is also excellent at breaking clinches as his power shots tend to force opponents to clinch. Using hip pivots to break his opponent’s balance and controlling them with his arms, Beterbiev has shown to be near impossible to clinch for survival. This is what causes him to have among the highest knockout percentages in the sport.