Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will finally square off in an undisputed light heavyweight championship fight on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
Turki Alalshikh announced the news today on a special edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, while also announcing the new date for Fury vs Usyk.
Alalshikh said the undercard for Beterbiev vs Bivol will be the five vs five series of fights between Matchroom Boxing and Queensberry Promotions fighters.
Beterbiev, 39, holds the WBC, IBF, and WBO titles. Bivol, 33, holds the WBA belt.
Beterbiev just fought on Jan. 13 in Quebec City, doing his usual demolition job to stop Callum Smith in the seventh round.
Bivol was last seen on Dec. 23 in Saudi Arabia, shutting out Lyndon Arthur over 12 rounds in a dominant decision.
For many serious boxing fans, Beterbiev vs Bivol is about as good a matchup as the sport can make right now, not just in significant but in style. Two great fighters who are very different in how they approach a fight, but equally effective at what they do. And 2024 seemed like the “make-or-break” year to actually get this fight, and we will get it.