Fight fans worldwide await the rubber match between light heavyweight champions Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev with great anticipation. The two superbly matched modern greats are, of course, 1-1, and the deciding fight could prove to be the best and most intense battle of the series.

Russia Hosts Bivol-Beterbiev 3

Fights I and II took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the trilogy fight was also set to take place there. However, according to a report from The Ring, Bivol and Beterbiev have both requested that Saudi moneyman Turki Alalshikh permit the third fight to take place in Russia, their homeland. Alalshikh is said to have given his blessing. However, with us already in the second half of the year, there is no set working date for the third fight.

Yes, this is a fight that is more than worth waiting for, but at the same time, the clock is ticking. Bivol saw this week how he was ordered to defend the IBF belt against mandatory Michael Eifert, with plenty of suggestions that Bivol will instead vacate the IBF belt, as he did the WBC title earlier this year, so now the third showdown with Beterbiev may contest only the WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine titles.

Aging Beterbiev: Retirement on Horizon?

No matter; everyone knows Bivol and Beterbiev are the two best 175-pounders in the world right now, until any fighter proves differently. And it could be that the winner of Bivol-Beterbiev III opts to walk away and retire, especially if Beterbiev gets the win, as he is now 40 years of age, to Bivol’s 34.

But who knows what the future may hold? For now, we are all looking forward to round 25 of the Bivol-Beterbiev rivalry. Who wins the third fight when it finally rolls around?

Bivol is currently 24-1(12), while Beterbiev is 21-1(20). It could be argued that nobody but each other could ever defeat Bivol or Beterbiev. That said, we’d love to see David Benavidez – who was elevated to full WBC champion when Bivol vacated the belt – fight the winner.