WATCH: “Bivol in kill mode” – Dmitry Bivol gets first TKO in 6 years leaving fight fans in splits

Light heavyweight standout Dmitry Bivol ends his TKO drought.

WATCH: “Bivol in kill mode” – Dmitry Bivol gets first TKO in 6 years leaving fight fans in splits

Dmitry Bivol defeated Malik Zinad (Image via: X)

Dmitry Bivol had not finished a fight in six years, with his last coming against Sullivan Barrera in March 2018. That changed recently after he scored a TKO victory over the previously undefeated Malik Zinad of Libya in the WBA and IBO light heavyweight title fight.

The brash Zinad had disrespected Bivol in the pre-fight press conference, and the undefeated Russian returned the favor in the ring. Despite the blistering speed of the Libyan challenger, Bivol found his way with accurate counterstriking. The damage took a toll on Zinad’s nose before Bivol finished him off.

YouTube video

The finish came after Bivol stunned Zinad with a powerful jab and left hook in the sixth round. Sensing victory, Bivol piled on power punches, forcing referee Howard Foster to stop the contest. With the win over Zinad, Bivol extended his undefeated winning streak to 24.

FS Video

On the other hand, Zinad fell to 22-1. Zinad got the opportunity after Artur Beterbiev, the unified light heavyweight boxing champion, pulled out due to injury. Zinad was a huge underdog going into the fight, but never was a live one.

Fight fans react to Dmitry Bivol’s brutal TKO victory over Malik Zinad

High-level boxers usually begin their professional career with a lot of finishes. However, after fighting against high-level competition, they mostly win via decision. Similar was the case for Dmitry Bivol. Before he became the WBA light heavyweight champion, he had finished 9 of 11 fights.

Dmitry Bivol
Dmitry Bivol (Image via: Instagram)

After he became the champion, Bivol had only finished his first two title defenses via KO/TKO. That changed in his latest title defense against Malik Zinad. The brutal finish had fight fans excited. See how fight fans reacted to the video below.

With the victory, Bivol has set himself against an undisputed light heavyweight title fight against Artur Beterbiev. Turki Alalshikh has announced the date for the fight, which will be October 12, 2024. Bivol’s biggest win to date is against was a unanimous decision victory over Canelo Alvarez.

Beterbiev is a finishing machine, having finished all his 20 fights en route to attaining the IBF, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight champion. However, he is a slight betting underdog against Bivol and is also older. Nonetheless, the matchup in Riyadh will likely have fight fans at the edge of their seats.

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