World Boxing Association (WBA) light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol will defend his title against unbeaten challenger Malik Zinad. The 12-round championship bout will take place on Saturday, June 1, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) has won nine consecutive fights via unanimous decision, including a dominant win against IBO light heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur in December. The reigning titleholder has also notched impressive wins over Gilberto Ramírez and Canelo Alvarez
Zinad (22-0, 16 KOs) has yet to lose as a professional and earned a majority decision win against Jerome Pampellone in April. The Libyan won both the vacant IBO Intercontinental light heavyweight title and the vacant WBC Mediterranean light heavyweight title in 2021.
Bivol (-3000) is a huge favorite to defeat Zinad (+900), per BetMGM sportsbook. The challenger replaced the injured WBC, WBO, and IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and will face an uphill climb to notch the upset.
Bivol is a talented fighter who utilizes the classic Eastern European style with a bladed stance, and consistently moves in and out of the range of his opponents. The Russian combines elite defensive skills with fluid movement and precision-like jabs.
The 33-year-old boasts one of the best jabs in the sport and possesses a high guard that thwarts the attacks of his opponents. Although he was a 4-1 underdog in his fight against Alvarez, Bivol used five- and six-punch combinations to finish off Alvarez in shocking fashion.
Zinad is an aggressive fighter who has a large advantage in power over Bivol, boasting a 73% knockout percentage compared to Bivol's 50%. The Libyan can end any fight with one punch, which poses a significant threat to Bivol's title defense.
The 30-year-old likes to use his jab a lot and has an excellent right-hand counter punch. Nicknamed "The Trigger" for his impressive knockout power, Zinad is a hard-nosed fighter with a reputation for his relentless fighting grit.
While Bivol was focused on his mega-fight with Beterbiev, the champion promised to not take his fight with Zidan lightly.
"I have to respect him, and I have to be focused," said Bivol about Zinad. "Yeah, he got his chance, and I'm sure he will try to do his best. I'm a professional athlete, a champion of the world. I have to prove it again.
"Before I had a fight against Lyndon Arthur, he was one of the options. I saw some of his fights. His style is similar to Lyndon Arthur's. He uses his jab a lot, and he's good with his right-hand counter punch, and he's throwing long."
Zinad has elite power, which offers hope to the challenger if he can hurt Bivol with one of his punches. Bivol was caught with a right hand in the eighth round against Arthur after becoming somewhat overconfident. However, the champion does not expect to make the same mistake twice.
"That’s why they call it professional boxer. If you're a professional, you have to try to switch
"Maybe he said it, and he's confident, but I'm confident also," said Bivol about Zinad saying he's going to cause an earthquake inside the ring on Saturday. "I have to be better. I have to beat him as much as I can."
Betting Pick: Bivol
Betting odds for this light heavyweight title fight are live on legal New York sportsbooks, including BetMGM, which has tagged Bivol as a huge -3000 favorite. The most common bet type for this boxing matchup is the moneyline, a wager on who will win the fight outright.
Considering how Zinad has not fought anyone with the pedigree of Bivol, the champion should retain his belt. Bivol is our pick to win the fight and a $100 wager on the champion at odds of -3000 would net a total payout of $103.33. However, if you think Zinad can pull off the upset, a $100 wager on the challenger at odds of +900 would net a total profit of $900.
The Over/Under bet is another popular type, where you wager on the number of rounds the fight will last. Given that all of Bivol's previous nine fights have gone the distance, we do not expect the fight to end in the early rounds. Thus, betting Over 10.5 rounds could be a winning pick.
The 12-round light heavyweight championship fight will take place on Saturday, June 1, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Boxing fans in New York can watch the fight live on ESPN+ pay-per-view. With top boxing sportsbooks offering a range of betting options, fans can engage more deeply with the fight by placing bets on their favorite outcomes.
WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol is a massive favorite to retain his belt against unbeaten challenger Malik Zinad. Bivol is a -3000 betting favorite, while Zinad is the +900 underdog, per BetMGM.
This title fight is part of an undercard that includes a clash between Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic, a matchup pitting Hamzah Sheeraz and Austin 'Ammo' Williams, a WBA World Featherweight championship contest featuring Raymond Ford and Nick Ball, and a battle with Craig Richards squaring off against Willy Hutchinson.
Live betting is available for boxing during the fight, however, you can only place bets between rounds when the in-play betting odds are updated. Moneyline wagers representing the odds for who will win the fight outright are the most popular type of betting for boxing. Other live betting types include "three-way" moneyline wagers and prop bets such as the method of victory, total rounds (how long a fight will last), points betting, and parlays.
Boxing fans can place various bets on this WBA light heavyweight championship fight at BetMGM, a popular and trusted sportsbook in New York.
