After thrilling fans in one of last year’s marquee matchups, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol are ready to take their rivalry to new heights. Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) will defend his undisputed world light heavyweight championship in a rematch versus Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) this Saturday, Feb. 22nd, at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Beterbiev (pictured) became boxing’s first undisputed light heavyweight champion in a quarter-century with a razor-thin majority decision over Bivol last October. Though Bivol’s precision and ring generalship controlled the early going, Beterbiev’s raw power and relentless pressure turned the tide in the later rounds. The scores — 114-114, 115-113, and 116-112 — cemented Beterbiev’s claim to the division’s throne but sparked calls for a rematch to erase any lingering doubt. Beterbiev-Bivol II tops a historically loaded card that will stream live on DAZN pay-per-view. At Thursday's press conference, this is what the main event fighters and Top Rank COO Brad Jacobs said:

 

Artur Beterbiev

 

“I want to defend my belts. It’s very simple.”

 

“I was happy with the first fight because I won. There are many things {I learned}. It’s too long to tell you. Let’s talk after the fight.”

 

“We’ll do something different for this fight. We’re working on it.”

 

“Don’t miss our fight. It’s going to be a good fight.”

 

Dmitry Bivol

 

“All athletes want to win. Just like gamblers. Of course, I didn’t win last time. And I really want to win. It’s burning inside of me. I want to change something because I can see where I was wrong at some points. And I want to change it. As an athlete, I want that.”

 

“Every time when you exchange punches, it’s a risk. With a fighter like Beterbiev, it’s a risk when you exchange punches. And, yes, sometimes I need to do it.”

 

“If you liked the fight, I’m sure that the second fight will not be less interesting than the first fight. Watch the fight on February 22.”

 

Top Rank's Brad Jacobs 

 

"On behalf of Bob Arum and Top Rank, we’re thrilled to be part of another event here in Riyadh. When you see a classic bout like we did in October, the fans beg to get a rematch. And thanks to His Excellency and everyone at Riyadh Season, we now have one. It’s unusual that it happened so quickly. It’s a testament to both fighters. We’re thrilled to be a part of it, and we’re looking for another victory for Artur Beterbiev."