Facts about Beterbiev

- 21-0, 95% KO/TKO ratio, dropped and stopped all of his LHW (day before weigh-in) opponents barring top 5 P4P ranked champ favourite Bivol, scoring 48 KD’s in 110 contested rounds over an 11+ year professional career (age 28 to 39)

- Was the first man to stop 11 of his 21 opponents (Page Jr., A. Johnson, Maderna, Prieto, Koelling, C. Johnson, Kalajdzic, lineal champ favourite Gvozdyk, Deines, Browne, former champ C. Smith), only four of whom have been stopped since (Page Jr., Maderna, Koelling, Deines), went on a 9 stoppage streak of never previously stopped opponents (minimum 17 fights), has 7 KO's inside the first 2 rounds (including over former champ Cloud, Page Jr., Prieto, champ Smith Jr.), 12 KO’s inside the first 4 rounds (including over R. Saunders, former champ Campillo, Maderna, C. Johnson) and retired (minimum 40 month absence) 4 fighters from boxing (Cruz, Cloud, prime Ward, prime Gvozdyk)

- Fought Smith Jr. in New York and Yarde in London

- LHW champion from 2017-2024 with 9 consecutive defences, lineal champion since 2019, undisputed champion since 2024 (3 months away from his 40th birthday), the first truly undisputed light heavyweight champion since 1985 and the first of the four belt era

- Never behind on points after 4 rounds by fan consensus (Boxrec, Eyeonthering) prior to facing Bivol and Bivol had never won by less than a 118-111 margin (Boxrec fan consensus) prior to his MD defeat to Beterbiev

- "In 2010, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) named him its Boxer of the Year, as the best pound-for-pound amateur fighter in the world."

- Three amateur wars (two over 3 rounds at 91 KG, one over 4 at 81 KG, won the 4 rounder) against future Olympic gold medallist, undisputed cruiserweight champion, 3x P4P No.1 and 22-0 undisputed heavyweight champion Usyk, one of only three fighters known to have officially dropped Usyk amateur or pro

- Beat future cruiserweight/heavyweight contender Hunter in the Olympics

- Stopped future 2x cruiserweight titlist Dorticos in round 1

- Beat future 10 defence, 3x LHW champion Kovalev twice in the amateurs, despite being 20 months younger than Kovalev at 21/22

- Only one RSC defeat (at 17) in 103 listed non-walkover amateur bouts (with a highly aggressive style, fighting at HW in 21 of them), officially dropped twice in the pros, stopped Page Jr. and C. Johnson 1 and 2 rounds later respectively

- Bivol had been a LHW titlist since 2017 but openly chased natural MW/SMW Canelo from 2018-2023, prior to the Saudi's putting up big money to make the Beterbiev fight (while Beterbiev unified with Gvozdyk, aged to 39+, accumulated wear and was ever more tight at the weight, having needed a 2nd weigh-in for Browne at 36)

 

It's 100% accurate, and I didn't count KD's which I think should have been given but weren't. I went through all of his fights a little while back and prior to Yarde he had 45 KD's in 18 fights. And even this doesn't do Beterbiev justice as his opponents have generally been very durable, quite a few having never even been dropped previously, and the majority having never been stopped.