Riyadh Season continues to expand its combat sports offerings with a major boxing event on February 22, headlined by the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, along with six additional title fights featuring prominent boxers.
Riyadh Season just keeps on rolling. Over the past few years, Saudi Arabia has really dived into the world of combat sports. They’ve hosted numerous events featuring some of the biggest names in both boxing and MMA. And guess what? They’re not stopping anytime soon.
On Monday, Turki Alalshikh, who chairs Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, had some big news. He announced another major boxing event for Feb. 22. The main attraction? A highly-anticipated rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
These two fighters met last October for the undisputed light heavyweight title. In a nail-biter, Beterbiev clinched a majority decision, becoming the first undisputed champ in nearly two decades. Now they’re back for round two in a bout dramatically titled “The Last Crescendo.”
But that’s not all! The event boasts six more title fights. In the co-main event, IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois will face off against interim champ Joseph Parker. Earlier this year, Dubois had a career-defining moment when he knocked out Anthony Joshua for the IBF heavyweight title. Parker? He snagged a majority decision over Zhilei Zhang to grab the interim title back in March.
Also joining the action is WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, who will defend his title against the young and ambitious Floyd Schofield, just 22 years old.
The card’s packed with more thrilling matchups: WBC middleweight champ Carlos Adames goes up against unbeaten Hamzah Sheeraz, while Vergil Ortiz Jr., the WBC interim super welterweight champ, defends his belt against former WBA super welterweight king Israel Madrimov.
And it doesn’t stop there—Zhilei Zhang takes on Agit Kabayel for the vacant WBC interim heavyweight title. Plus, Joshua Buatsi battles Callum Smith for the WBO interim light heavyweight crown.
All this excitement is set to unfold at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It’s shaping up to be one heck of an event!