While the boxing community continues to call for an Artur Beterbiev fight, Dmitry Bivol has gone ahead and gotten himself another fight for the 23rd of December. His preparation for the upcoming Lyndon Arthur fight is happening in full swing, as he was recently seen training in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. While the fighter might have hoped to prime his fans for the Riyadh fight, he was met with severe backlash.

It’s been more than a year since the WBA light heavyweight champion was seen in the ring. He was all set to fight his most-anticipated rival, Beterbiev, earlier. However, owing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the WBC sanctioned Russian fighters from competing. With these sanctions went his fight against Beterbiev. Choosing to remain active, Bivol signed up for the lucrative ‘Day of Reckoning’ Saudi event. Have the fans embraced the turn of events? A loud no.

A landslide of criticism for Dmitry Bivol’s mountain training

In a recent video, Bivol can be seen doing pushups at the edge of the rough mountain ranges in Kyrgyzstan. While the training session does seem risky and audacious, he faced the wrath of the boxing community instead of praise. One fan mocked the Russian fighter saying that he undertakes all these efforts, and yet does not fight Beterbiev.

Another fan echoed the same frustration. They invoked the time Bivol infamously defeated Canelo Alvarez in 2022. Giving the Mexican fighter the second loss of his career, Bivol shot through the ranks. However, despite the boost to his career, the Russian fighter has mostly been absent from the sport.

Another user who’s been to these ranges highlighted how unsafe they are. They further stated that they would tolerate it if Beterbiev-Bivol failed to happen because of an accident.

Another rebuked Bivol by saying that he’d have to train on Mount Everest if he ever had to face Beterbiev.

Finally, a user mentioned how unsafe this stunt could be.

Bivol might have embarked on the path to keep his boxing career alive, but such a career would now breathe only if he fought Beterbiev. Recently, he spilled the beans as to when the fight could happen.

Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev is on the horizon, again

In a recent conversation with Telecomasia.net, the Russian fighter noted that the Beterbiev fight may happen sooner than it appears. He said, “The fight with Beterbiev is more feasible than before.” When asked if he is avoiding anyone or if anyone is avoiding him, the fighter noted, “I want to, Artur wants to, but does Bob Arum (Beterbiev’s promoter) want to? Has Eddie Hearn (Bivol’s promoter) talked about it? He hasn’t either. There is no agreement between them. All the talk about avoiding, not avoiding is for the audience. I don’t like saying that someone is avoiding me.” 

Also Read: Boxing Trainer Adamant That David Benavidez Will Do “Worse” to Canelo Alvarez Than Dmitry Bivol

Will Bivol-Beterbiev happen? Only time will tell. But with pressures mounting on both the fighters to clash against each other, it seems inescapable now. Who do you think is the better one, Bivol and Beterbiev? Let us know in the comments section below.

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