For the first time in 10 fights, Dmitry Bivol scored a stoppage win on Saturday with a sixth-round TKO of Malik Zinad to retain his WBA light heavyweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Bivol (23-0, 11 KOs) is now set to face Artur Beterbiev in an undisputed light heavyweight championship fight on October 12 in Riyadh, as announced by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.
Originally, Bivol and Beterbiev were scheduled to fight on Saturday, but Beterbiev had to undergo surgery last month to repair a ruptured meniscus. Libya's Malik Zinad (22-1, 16 KOs) stepped in as a late replacement, entering the ring as a major underdog in his first world title bid. The 33-year-old Bivol floored Zinad in the opening round with a three-punch combination and outboxed him over the next four rounds.
Bivol broke through in Round 6 with a left hook that rocked Zinad. He followed up with a barrage of punches along the ropes, prompting the referee to stop the fight at 2:06, with Zinad, 30, defenseless.
"I believe that my power is always with me," Bivol said. "I didn't have doubts; of course, my power is with me."
Bivol, who owns a victory over boxing's top star Canelo Alvarez, is ESPN's No. 5 pound-for-pound boxer. His footwork and ability to control range with his jab are among the best in the world.
"You are one of the best fighters ever, and you deserve this," Alalshikh told Bivol. "We offer you four or five big fights. We want to see you against [David] Benavidez, against [Jai] Opetaia, against tough opponents."
While those are excellent potential matchups, none is as attractive as the October showdown with Beterbiev, a 39-year-old Russian with a 100% KO ratio. Beterbiev is just one spot behind Bivol on ESPN's pound-for-pound list. The bout against Bivol has been one of boxing's most anticipated for years.
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Three months after he was denied his first world title, Nick Ball captured the WBA world featherweight title with a split points win over Raymond Ford.
In a close and high-quality contest, Ball was awarded a split decision after two judges scored it 115-113 in his favor and one judge scored it 115-113 for Ford.
For Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs), 27, from Liverpool, England, winning his first world title eased the frustration and disappointment of a controversial draw against Rey Vargas for the WBC title in March.
"I should be a two-time champion, but I'm champ now, so it doesn't matter," Ball said. "My style is all action and putting pressure on. I did that well, and it paid off."
Ford (15-1-1, 8 KOs), 25, from New Jersey, lost the title in his first defense since stopping Otabek Kholmatov with just seven seconds remaining in the final round in March. Ford is now expected to move up a weight class to junior lightweight.
"I thought I did enough, but it was a close fight. I should have listened to my corner a bit more, but the best man won," Ford said. "For sure, I will go up to 130 pounds now."
Despite being 5 inches shorter, Ball swarmed the champion in the early rounds, landing a good right hook in the second. When Ford worked his jab, he was able to contain Ball, but the English fighter's superior work rate and relentless pressure paid off in the later rounds.
Ford finally threatened in the seventh round when he shook Ball with a big left hand to the jaw, and the challenger took another hard left uppercut in Round 8. Ford continued to look good in Round 9 with his movement and accuracy, and by the end, the American's strong finish had closed the gap. In a tumultuous last round, Ford rocked Ball with a right on the counter and later with a left uppercut.
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Willy Hutchinson produced a career-best performance to unanimously outpoint Craig Richards at light heavyweight in the show's opening fight.
Hutchinson (18-1, 13 KOs), 25, from Carstairs in Scotland, won by scores of 116-112, 117-111, and 119-109 after commanding most of the fight and resisting a late rally from Richards.
Richards (18-4-1, 11 KOs), 34, who lost a unanimous decision to WBA world light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in 2021, could not work out Hutchinson's switch-hitting style.
"I'm young and ready to take over the world," Hutchinson, who won the vacant fringe WBC Silver light heavyweight title, said.
Richards, from south London, struggled to find his rhythm in the early rounds, while Hutchinson looked sharper, dictating behind his jab and seamlessly switching stances. In the third round, Hutchinson landed several good right hands that rattled Richards, and he continued to dominate with more right hands in the fifth and a powerful left on the ropes in the eighth.
Richards had brief moments of success in the seventh and eighth rounds, but in the tenth, he produced his best round. In a thrilling exchange, Richards seemed on top until Hutchinson landed a flurry of punches that left the elder fighter on wobbly legs. With Hutchinson tiring, Richards landed a good combination in Round 11, but Hutchinson was smarter in the final three minutes.
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