Unified WBC, IBF and WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev defends his belts against Anthony Yarde on Saturday, January 28 at OVO Arena Wembley. The 2012 Olympian returns to London, where he dropped a points decision against Oleksandr Usyk in the quarterfinals of the heavyweight bracket, which was the final fight of his amateur boxing career.
The event airs live on BT Sport in the UK and ESPN+ in the United States.
Montreal-based knockout artist, Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) won IBF title via twelfth-round KO of Enrico Kolling in November 2017, WBC belt by knockout in the tenth-round against Oleksandr Gvozdyk in October 2019 and WBO strap via second-round stoppage of Joe Smith Jr in June 2022.
“I had a good camp. I had good sparring. I will try to do my best,” Beterbiev said at Wednesday’s media workout.
“My team and I always try to be ready for anything, any strategy.”
“I can’t compare [Yarde] to Joe Smith. It’s a different fight. Joe Smith had a belt at that time. It’s not comparable.”
The only belt Beterbiev is currently missing is held by undefeated reigning WBA champion Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs).
“Right now, it’s Saturday night. I only think about Saturday night.”
‘He’s just the person with the belts’
Anthony Yarde (23-2, 22 KOs) challenged for WBO light heavyweight title against Sergey Kovalev in August 2019, but was stopped in the eleventh round, after nearly dethroning then champion in Round 8.
“If you look at what he’s accomplished so far, it’s amazing, and that’s what amps me up,” Yarde said. “So, again, I beat him, I deserve some respect.”
“I don’t look at what any other fighter has done [to him]. I don’t look at what he’s done to other fighters. Realistically, all you look at is style, but even that, you can’t take too much from. You only know once you step in there with a person, and you both shape up and you both start trading leather.”
“He’s never been in a situation where he’s lost. But for me, it’s all about me. That’s the way I am. That’s the way I operate. It’s about me and my legacy. He’s just the person with the belts.”
Britain’s WBO top-ranked contender won three of his previous bouts by way of stoppage against Stefani Koykov, Lyndon Arthur to take the revenge, and Alex Theran.
“I just feel like this one feels right. This one feels better. [The Sergey Kovalev fight] didn’t. All that matters is when we get in that ring. Everything that’s said before is all he said, she said possibilities and things like that. When we get in the ring, that’s when we’ll see.”
In Australia, the event airs live on Sunday, January 29.
Get Beterbiev vs Yarde full fight card.
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