Less than a week ago, Artur Beterbiev defeated Dmitry Bivol in a dramatic fight for the title of absolute world light heavyweight champion. It would seem that after such a test, an older athlete should slowly recover, but Arthur immediately left for his homeland – Russia. Beterbiev is very active there: he attended the IBA tournament, met with fans and visited the Boxing Progress Center. It was there that we met with our illustrious champion and talked about the most interesting things. They also discussed the possibility that the IBF organization could strip Arthur of the belt if he refuses to fight the mandatory challenger.
—How important do you consider the issue of the IBF title, do you think about mandatory defense? —No one has forced me to defend the title yet, there are some conversations going on. Let’s see what they say and offer, if there are any ultimatums. While this is pure internet speculation, no one has contacted me, neither the IBF nor my team.
— The organization insists on it, are you willing to vacate the belt, losing the title of absolute world champion? – We will observe.
– Is there that possibility then? – Yes, we’ll see.
—Who was the first to congratulate you on your victory off-camera? — Ramzan (Kadyrov. — Note from the “Championship”) congratulated me, I received many messages from family and friends, I talked to my mother. I like to call her before and after the fight to calm her down, to tell her everything is okay.
—What value do you consider Kadyrov’s support? “From my youth he believed in me that I would become a good boxer and achieve something. He supported me all this time. Of course, this is very valuable and great. I am grateful to him for everything.
– Do you understand why he believed in you? “You probably think I’m the only one.” I have been to boxing and MMA shows many times, he loves the sport very much, he is a fan. Of course, he is especially attentive to his athletes, to those of our republic. This support is very necessary, it motivates.
—What does it say about your performances? – In a different way. The last time I boxed him was in 2004, he was sitting in the stands. And now too. It’s very exciting; you worry about doing something wrong. But he encourages me, now he gave me almost the same advice as my team. He understands boxing very well and is himself a master of this sport.
— Does moving to another weight category mean a mandatory objective for the second overall? Or will you settle for a few belts? “We’ll see, because I’m not alone in the field.” I need to discuss with the team and make the right decision. Chat with experts, family and friends. I’ll ask a question (laughs).
We are exploring options for Arthur:
Go for new belts or end your career. What’s next for Artur Beterbiev?
— Do you dream of becoming absolute champion in two weight categories? – There is no such dream, but why not do it? You can try it.
—Was there any echo of the trauma during the battle? —This injury was more worrying during preparation, because there is a lot of load there. And during the battle she didn’t bother me.
— You said that you were not satisfied with yourself, what exactly do you consider the main problems? “I think these are the consequences of an injury and an operation that was performed just three or four months ago. No matter how much you want it or address it professionally, it still makes itself felt.
— After the fight, you lost your ideal knockout percentage. Do you pay attention to this, is it important to you? – Believe me, I sleep peacefully (smiles).
— Didn’t you want to take risks during the battle? – It wasn’t like that at all.
Dmitry Bivol – Artur Beterbiev
Photo: Mark Robinson/Getty Images
—What did you feel when you announced the first decision in your professional career? – This is something I’ve never had. There was a kind of fear, we don’t know what is in the judges’ notes. There was a turbulent moment of waiting.
—How did the Bivol team react to the news of the appeal? Were you surprised by the decision they made? “They’ve got kind of a weird mess going on there.” All this came out of nowhere. I have some ideas about why they do this, but I’ll express them a little later.
– Bivol said that Canelo has a single blow stronger than you. What do you think about this? – I don’t think anything about it. I’m not interested.
—How will you spend the money from the fight with Bivol? Are there already plans in this direction? – I don’t know yet, we’ll see. The main thing is to do everything correctly.
—How much does it hurt that Turki Al ash-Sheikh managed to congratulate Bivol on his victory before the decision was announced? – This is your personal opinion. Turki has the right to do what he wants and support whoever he wants. It didn’t bother me.
Let’s analyze Dmitry’s protest:
Bivol will question the outcome of the fight with Beterbiev. We explain why protests don’t work in boxing
—Were you surprised that Dima exchanged frequently, given his knockout power? “There were times when he somehow tried to leave, but it didn’t last long. It didn’t faze me at all.
– There is an opinion that he could be a little nervous because he doesn’t know what to do. – Most likely it was.
“Gervonta Davis spoke offensively about you.” Do you want to talk to him, ask him about the insults? -Who is it? Boxer? I don’t know him.
Gervonta Davis
Photo: Getty Images
— Do you plan to rest and recover in Russia? — I’m already resting, I just arrived at the Boxing Progress Center and took a steam bath. This is a good bathhouse. After the fight I wanted to train, but today I probably won’t train, even though I came with my things. The first training will be tomorrow and I will start running. It will be exactly a week since the fight. The restoration process will probably take place in Russia. I really want to practice, but I don’t care where it will be. The main thing is to find a room.
— You already expressed your desire to fight in MMA, you said it would be interesting for you. Is there any desire left? – No, that day I ran I was in a good mood. After a hearty lunch, I said a few words about this. No, I don’t want to.
— You talked about this with Saint-Pierre. – Yes, but I won’t. We should not expect a confrontation with Islam Makhachev.
