Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde fight prediction, undercard, odds, start time, preview, how to watch

One of the most exciting fighters returns to the ring Saturday night when Artur Beterbiev will defend his WBC, WBO and IBF light heavyweight titles against Anthony Yarde. The fight will take place at Wembley Arena in London.2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+).

Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) has a well-deserved reputation as a destructive force of nature. None of his opponents made it to the final bell, which includes the seven men Beterbiev has beaten in championship fights.

In November 2017, Beterbiev won his first world title when he stopped Enrico Colling in the 12th round to claim the vacant IBF title. After two defenses of his title, Beterbiev faced WBC champion Alexander Gvozdyk, stopping the fight in the 10th round in a thrilling fight to unify the two titles. Beterbiev again defended his titles twice before seeking another belt. In his last fight, he defeated WBO champion Joe Smith Jr. and unified three of his four world boxing titles in the 175 pound weight class.

The fight with WBA champion Dmitry Bivol is one of the first places in the list of “dream fights” of many boxing fans. Bivol called for battle and Recently Beterbiev said that he “of course” wants to fight Bivol to establish the undisputed champion in the division.

If an undisputed championship fight with Bivol does not take place, the WBC said at its annual conference that the winner of the Beterbiev vs. Yard fight should next defend his titles against Callum Smith.

“In our camp, we always try to be ready for different scenarios. If there is a tough fight, we will be ready,” Beterbiev said.

“I feel good. I hope that on January 28th I will change a little. [to turn into a monster]. I said that he looks like a bodybuilder because of his muscles. I don’t have this muscle and I didn’t say it meant anything bad. I said it because he looks strong!”

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Yard (23-2, 22 KOs) enters the fight on a three-fight winning streak. He has been Beterbiev’s mandatory opponent since his December 2021 fourth-round stoppage victory over Lyndon Arthur, a victory that allowed Yarde to avenge one of two career losses after Arthur made a split decision in their first meeting a year earlier.

In his only previous world title fight, Yarde was defeated by TKO in the 11th round from Sergey Kovalev. Yarde did a good job in that fight, including badly hurting Kovalev in the 8th round, causing Kovalev to threaten to stop the fight. Eventually, Kovalev was able to pull himself together and stop a heavily fatigued Yard at the end of the fight.

“I am happy to be alive, happy to be at this stage of my life. Being a loser, an aggressor, an average dog… it doesn’t matter to me. I am a dog,” Yard said. at the final press conference. “When I step into the ring and start waving my arms, everyone knows what I can do. If you want to say that it does something for me, it gives me a little push, it’s a little urge. But again, this is to be expected. I don’t lie or lie to anyone. He has 18 fights, 18 wins, [100 percent] Knockout ratio, Olympian. He has done a lot in sports, so he should be respected. I have respected him so far. As I said, when we enter the ring, he will certainly say the same thing. There’s no respect in the ring when you’re trying to take respect from your opponent.”

A talented fighter, Yard has been criticized for not taking steps to maximize his talent, including sticking to trainers and training methods that many felt were holding him back.

There’s another title shot on the undercard and a couple of veterans looking to make a name for themselves. Artem Dalakyan is looking to defend his WBA flyweight title when he takes on David Jimenez. Dalakyan, a 35-year-old combat veteran from Ukraine, is 21-0 unbeaten with 15 knockouts. His most recent victory came on home soil when he stopped Luis Concepion in November 2021. Jiménez, a native of Costa Rica, was undefeated 12-0 with nine knockouts. In the other bout featured, Karol Itauma will take on Ezequiel Oswaldo Maderna in the light heavyweight division.

Let’s take a look at the odds from Caesars Sportsbook before moving on to the prediction and choosing the main event.

Beterbiev vs. Yard fight card, odds

Darling	outsider	Weight category
Artur Beterbiev (c) -900	Anthony Yarde +600	Unified light heavyweight title
Artem Dalakyan (c) -135	David Jimenez +115	WBA flyweight title
Karol Itauma-4500	Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna +1600	light heavyweight

Forecast

This is a fight with huge potential for action. Beterbiev has one of the most fan-friendly styles of boxing and Yard has some serious power. Both men also take a fair amount of hits, making it highly likely that the fight will end with one man on his back.

What makes Beterbiev so good is that his aggression works because he is also very good at his fundamentals, which can be seen from the long list of accomplishments he has made in his amateur career. While he is tough and ready to take a hit from close range or strike on his own, Beterbiev can do what he does because he has the technical base to cut the ring, work inside and unload with sharp punches. to the body and head.

Beterbiev’s body shots could have played a big role in the fight as Yard’s fitness was a problem against Kovalev. However, given the combination of Yard’s strength and Beterbiev’s 38 years of age, Yard is becoming a real underdog.

However, Beterbiev is so talented and so ruthless that it’s hard to see how Yarde didn’t end up being overwhelmed by the veteran champion’s non-stop attack, resulting in a mid-round stoppage. Choice: Artur Beterbiev TKO5