Unified WBC and IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev defends his belts against challenger Adam Deines in the long-awaited matchup on Saturday March 20 (Sunday March 21 in Australia). The scheduled for twelve rounds world championship bout headlines the Top Rank Boxing fight card live from Megasport Arena in Moscow, Russia. The co-feature is a ten-round welterweight battle between Alexander Besputin and Maximiliano Ricardo Veron.
Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs), a two-time Russian Olympian, returns to home soil for the first time as a professional. He unified world titles in October 2019 with a 10th-round TKO over Oleksandr Gvozdyk, solidifying his position as the sport’s top light heavyweight. Deines (19-1-1, 10 KOs) has won a pair of bouts since dropping a decision to Meng Fanlong and enters as the underdog looking to spoil Beterbiev’s perfect record and status as the only current world champion with a 100 percent knockout rate.
Besputin (13-0, 9 KOs) has not fought since November 2019, when he bested Radzhab Butaev by unanimous decision to win a version of the welterweight world title. The result was changed to a no-contest after Besputin tested positive for a banned substance. Veron (12-3-1, 4 KOs) is coming off a career-best performance in November 2019, a unanimous decision over Diego Ramirez (21-2 at the time) to win the IBF Latino welterweight belt.
Among the Beterbiev vs Deines undercard bouts, former Russian amateur standout Khariton Agrba (4-0, 1 KO), a 2019 European Games silver medalist, will fight Venezuelan veteran Jesus Cuadro (19-7, 15 KOs) in a 10-rounder for WBA Continental super lightweight strap. The 25-year-old Agrba is considered one of Russia’s top young talents, as he won more than 300 bouts in the unpaid ranks before turning pro in December 2019.
As well, Azizbek Abdugofurov (13-0, 5 KOs) will defend his WBC Silver super middleweight belt in a 12-rounder against fellow unbeaten Pavel Silyagin (6-0 4 KOs). Abdugofurov, from Uzbekistan, is ranked fourth by the WBC at super middleweight.
How to watch Beterbiev vs Deines live in the US and Australia
Boxing fans in the United States can watch Beterbiev vs Deines live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and live stream on ESPN+. The main card start time is scheduled for Saturday, March 20 at 3 pm ET / 12 pm PT. The fight action begins with the preliminary bouts live and exclusive on ESPN+, starting at 1 pm ET / 10 am PT.
Beterbiev vs Deines Australia time is set for Sunday, March 21 at 7 am AEDT for the main card, following the undercard kicking off at 5 am AEDT. The fight fans can watch the event live stream on ESPN on Kayo.
Beterbiev vs Deines card
The current Beterbiev vs Deines fight card looks as the following:
Main Card
- Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs) vs. Adam Deines (19-1-1, 10 KOs), 12 rounds, light heavyweight – Beterbiev’s WBC and IBF light heavyweight titles
- Alexander Besputin (13-0, 9 KOs) vs. Maximiliano Ricardo Veron (12-3-1, 4 KOs), 10 rounds, welterweight
Preliminary Card
- Khariton Agrba (4-0, 1 KO) vs. Jesus Cuadro (19-7, 15 KOs), 10 rounds, super lightweight – for WBA Continental super lightweight title
- Azizbek Abdugofurov (13-0, 5 KOs) vs. Pavel Silyagin (6-0 4 KOs), 12 rounds, super middleweight – Abdugofurov’s WBC Silver super middleweight title
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