MMA Fighting has Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 results live for the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight card at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
When the main event begins around 6 p.m. ET, check out our Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 live round-by-round updates for our live blog of the main event. Artur Beterbiev defeated Dmitry Bivol via majority decision this past October.
Main Card (DAZN/PPV.com live now)
Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol (live blog)
Martin Bakole vs. Joseph Parker
Shakur Stevenson vs. Josh Padley
Carlos Adames vs. Hamzah Sheeraz
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Israil Madrimov
Zhilei Zhang vs. Agit Kabayel
Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith
Preliminary Card
Ziyad Almaayouf def. Jonatas Oliveira via decision (60-54)
Mohammed Alakel def. Engel Gomez via decision (60-54)
Check out Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 undercard live blog below:
Our first title fight of the next is set to go, with Joshua Buatsi defending an interim WBO light heavyweight title against Callum Smith.
Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith
Round 1: Buatsi looks to get his jab going early. They clash in the middle of the ring and clinch with Buatsi pushing Smith to the corner and looking to score with short shots. Smith with a quick uppercut. Buatsi just smothering Smith right now. Referee let them work for a bit but calls for a break. Good jab by Smith. They trade jabs, Smith picking up the pace. Hard left from Buatsi, they tangle their legs up and Smith is tripped to the mat. Hard jab to the body by Smith. He’s pulling away in the closing moments of Round 1.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Smith.
Round 2: Jab duel right in the middle of the ring. Smith looks for a combination, but Buatsi digs in with the clinch. Smith to the body, Buatsi answers with a short uppercut. Good counter left hook by Buatsi. Buatsi with a pair of body shots. Smith drives a right hand to Buatsi’s body. Smith scores with two stiff jabs. Nice head-body combo by Smith, Buatsi sticks a jab right in Smith’s face. Jab from Buatsi backs Smith off. Smith again coming on strong to close out the round. Jab by Buatsi. Two close frames so far.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Buatsi. Overall, 19-19.
Round 3: Smith doing a better job of throwing combinations. Buatsi looking to jab his way in and land with power or clinch. He has Smith cornered and lets a few body shots fly. Smith right back at him with a pair of good punches up top. Buatsi lands a crisp jab. Smith targeting the body. Buatsi on the defensive. His jab is still working when he lets it go. Buatsi with a pair of LOUD body shots and it looks like Smith was momentarily stunned, but he stays standing. Looks like he’s recovered, but Buatsi just had the bes tmoment of the fight.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Buatsi. Overall, 29-28 Buatsi.
Round 4: Buatsi putting on the pressure with Smith defending against the ropes. Smith hunting for that counter left hook. Buatsi starting to match Smith’s volume. Tense fight as we dig into Round 4. Both guys are letting the hands go now, mixing shots beautifully to the head and body. No idea how the judges are seeing this one right now. Big uppercut-left hook combo by Buatsi. He’s getting through Smith’s defense. Right hook-body shot combo by Smith. Buatsi continuing to push Smith against the ropes as they trade short punches inside. Good exchange from both men before the bell.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Buatsi. Overall, 39-37 Buatsi.
Round 5: Buatsi showing great patience as he sticks with his jab to set up his offense. Right across the chin from Smith. Jab pressure from Smith, but Buatsi with a nice counter. Smith lands a body shot and Buatsi is reacting, he’s covering up. Smith takes the opening and lands a pair of left hooks to the head. Smith drowning Buatsi with volume now, Buatsi might have weathered the storm, though. Left hook from Smith and Buatsi loses his mouthpiece. On the reset, Buatsi comes out back on the offensive. Good comeback to close out the round, but that’s a Smith frame.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Smith. Overall, 48-47 Buatsi.
Round 6: Buatsi pushes Smith to the corner, Smith gives him body shot for his troubles. Nice left by Smith, but Butasi answers and keeps Smith’s back to the ropes. Smith’s bodywork is on point. Butasi finding a home for his jab through it all. Smith keeps sneaking hooks around Buatsi’s defenses and punishing the body. Right hand across the chin and Buatsi definitely felt that one. Smith pressing the advantage. He’s pouring it on and Buatsi is wearing it now. Smith doubles up on the hook and he’s hurting Buatsi, but Buatsi lands a huge counter. Scary moment for Smith at the end of the round.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Smith. Overall, 57-57.
Round 7: Smith coming out firing, he’s testing how much Buatsi has left in the tank. Buatsi doubles up on his jab. Great straight right from Smith. Left hook to the body by Smith, answered by a glancing right from Buatsi. Smith drives another left hook to the body, Buatsi doesn’t like that. The action has slowed, both fighters probing with jabs. Just as I write that, Smith lands a hard right hand and Buatsi answers with a couple of his own. Slowest round of the fight, possibly gearing up for a sprint to the finish line.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Smith. Overall, 67-66 Smith.
Round 8: Smith with a sneaky right hook. He opens up with a combination, Buatsi staying patient. Buatsi coming forward with the jab, Smith backs him off with a counter left. They trade clean punches. Left hook from Smith, Buatsi goes to the body. Counter left from Buatsi, then an uppercut. Another straight right for Smith lands. Buatsi pumping that jab in successfully. Big left hand from Buatsi near the end of the round. Close fight!
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Buatsi. Overall, 76-76.
Round 9: Buatsi circling and firing his jab out, that’s different. Smith says screw it and throws with power, then he doubles up with hooks to the body. Buatsi back to the jab. Smith has definitely slowed down, perhaps too eager for a KO blow? Right hand scores for Smith. Left hook from Smith as he chases Buatsi. His aggression pays off as he slips a Buatsi punch and cracks him with a counter right. Quick combo by Buatsi. Right down the middle gets through for Smith. Buatsi answers with two punches. Uppercut by Smith.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Smith. Overall, 86-85 Smith.
Round 10:
Round 11:
Round 12:
Zhilei Zhang vs. Agit Kabayel
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Round 5:
Round 6:
Round 7:
Round 8:
Round 9:
Round 10:
Round 11:
Round 12:
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Israil Madrimov
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Round 5:
Round 6:
Round 7:
Round 8:
Round 9:
Round 10:
Round 11:
Round 12:
Carlos Adames vs. Hamzah Sheeraz
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Round 5:
Round 6:
Round 7:
Round 8:
Round 9:
Round 10:
Round 11:
Round 12:
Shakur Stevenson vs. Josh Padley
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Round 5:
Round 6:
Round 7:
Round 8:
Round 9:
Round 10:
Round 11:
Round 12:
Joseph Parker vs. Martin Bakole
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Round 5:
Round 6:
Round 7:
Round 8:
Round 9:
Round 10:
Round 11:
Round 12:
