One of boxing's most exciting fighters returns to the ring on Saturday night when Artur Beterbiev defends his WBC, WBO and IBF light heavyweight world championships against Anthony Yarde. The fight takes place at Wembley Arena in London (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+).
Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KO) has a deserved reputation as a mauling force of nature. None of his opponents have made it to the final bell, which includes the seven men Beterbiev has defeated in championship fights.
In November 2017, Beterbiev won his first world title when he stopped Enrico Kolling in the 12th round to capture the vacant IBF title. After two defenses of his title, Beterbiev faced WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, scoring a 10th round stoppage in a thrilling fight, unifying the two titles. Beterbiev would again defend his titles twice before seeking another belt. In his most recent fight, he ran through WBO champion Joe Smith Jr. to unify three of boxing's four world titles at 175 pounds.
A fight with WBA champion Dmitry Bivol is high on the list of "dream fights" for many boxing fans. Bivol has called for the fight and " target="_blank"Beterbiev recently said that he "of course" wants to fight Bivol to establish an undisputed champion in the division.
If the undisputed championship clash with Bivol can't be made, the WBC stated at their annual conference that the winner of Beterbiev vs. Yarde must next defend their titles against Callum Smith.
Yarde (23-2, 22 KO) enters the bout on a three-fight winning streak. He has been Beterbiev's mandatory opponent since his December 2021 fourth-round stoppage win over Lyndon Arthur, a win that allowed Yarde to avenge one of his two career defeats after Arthur had taken a split decision in their first meeting a year prior.
In his only previous shot at a world title, Yarde suffered an 11th round TKO loss against Sergey Kovalev. In that fight, Yarde had done good work, including badly hurting Kovalev in Round 8, leading Kovalev's corner to threaten to stop the fight. In the end, Kovalev was able to rally and stop a badly fatigued Yarde late in the bout.
A talented fighter, Yarde has faced criticism for not taking the steps to maximize his talent, including sticking with trainers and training methods that many feel have held him back.
Beterbiev vs. Yarde fight card, oddsOdds via Caesars Sportsbook
Artur Beterbiev (c) -900 Anthony Yarde +600 Unified light heavyweight title Artem Dalakian (c) -135 David Jimenez +115 WBA flyweight title Karol Itauma -4500 Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna +1600 Light heavyweight PredictionThis is a fight with tremendous potential for action. Beterbiev has one of the most fan-friendly styles in boxing and Yarde has serious power. Both men also get hit a fair amount, leading to a strong possibility the fight ends with one man flat on his back.
What makes Beterbiev so good is that his aggression works because he is also very sound in his fundamentals, which can be seen with the long list of accomplishments he achieved in his amateur career. While he's tough and willing to take a punch to close distance or get off a shot of his own, Beterbiev is able to do what he does because he has the technical foundation to cut off the ring, work to the inside and unload with sharp punches to the body and head.
The body shots of Beterbiev could play a big part in the fight, with Yarde's conditioning having been an issue against Kovalev. Still, between the combination of Yarde's power and Beterbiev being 38 years old, Yarde is a live underdog coming in.
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