This seems like a somewhat likely outcome. Beterbiev doesn't have the hardiest skin at his age. He's going to eat some jabs when wearing down a master boxer like Bivol. He's also a slow starter. He could get cut in the first half of the fight and that would be Bivol's key to victory. Beterb's power is frightening and his other skills are underrated. But Bivol might have the edge, this is only one factor.
Definitely seems like it could happen, it would be the most boxing-thing ever for a lackluster cut stoppage on one of the biggest super-fights of the year. Watch it be stopped as it was heating up or Beterbiev was taking over.
Not sure why you would think that - whilst Beterbiev did suffer a bad cut against Marcus Browne, but the fight was not stopped (even though it arguably could have been), it was from a clash of heads, and Beterbiev has not shown much tendency to cut outside of that. Bivol is also not noted as a dirty fighters so can't see the likelihood of a clash of heads really. Would be one of the last reasons I'd expect as stoppage!
This sounds like the ridiculous advice Lennox Lewis gave to Corrie Sanders and Kirk Johnson before they fought Vitali Klitschko "try and cut him!" Its not that simple.
