Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will lock horns for the undisputed light heavyweight crown later today in a fiercely anticipated showdown.
The two highly-skilled and decorated boxers have been on a collision course since they first turned professional, after training together as amateurs in Russia.
And now, with both combatants entering their bout in Saudi Arabia as unbeaten, bona fide world champions, the stage is set to find out who the king at 175 lbs really is.
But before the pair meet in the ring, several stars from the world of combat sports are still putting forward their betting predictions ahead of the evenly-matched contest.
Israel Adesanya places a $10,000 bet on Dmitry Bivol to beat Artur Beterbiev
Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol have sparked a clear division among MMA fighters throughout the build-up to their battle.
Georges St-Pierre, for instance, has backed Beterbiev to emerge victorious, with the UFC legend favoring the 39-year-old’s destructive knockout power.
The unified world champion has, after all, pulverized every man he has faced in a professional ring, with all of his 20 fights ending inside the distance.
There is, however, a significant number of fans who are favoring Bivol’s educated footwork and remarkable boxing IQ.
Most notably, the 33-year-old’s elite-level skills have earned the support of former UFC champion Israel Adesanya, who has backed his prediction up with a $10,000 bet.
On Instagram, ‘The Last Stylebender’ shared a video of him replicating Bivol’s in-and-out movement, clearly showing that he has a high degree of respect for the pugilist.
And so, with a considerable stake on the line, Adesanya is convinced that the WBA world champion will secure a dominant and conclusive victory.
Has Israel Adesanya’s prediction been impacted by Artur Beterbiev’s injury?
Adesanya’s prediction is, without question, a sensible option to go with, given that Beterbiev is coming off surgery for his ruptured meniscus.
The boxer’s knee injury has, in fact, been a rather compelling point of discussion over the past few months, after he was forced to postpone the original fight date of June 1.
Nevertheless, it will not be long before we find out how the surgery has affected him, with his undisputed dustup now only hours away.