American viewers uninterested in paying for Artur Beterbiev’s and Dmitry Bivol’s supporting cast are in luck, as Top Rank announced today that ESPN+ will carry a one-fight broadcast of the main event.
The rest of the lineup, led by Shakur Stevenson vs Joe Cordina, reportedly runs for $15.
Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KO), who withdrew from the original June date due to a torn meniscus, is gearing up for his first multi-fight calendar year since 2021. He last saw action in January, clubbing Callum Smith into submission in front of the Quebecois faithful.
Bivol (23-0, 12 KO) is in a similar boat, going one-and-done in 2023 with a decision over Lyndon Arthur before ending a nine-fight stoppage drought by flattening late replacement Malik Zinad.
It’s a goofy arrangement to be sure, but between the weak undercard and Lays-esque ratio of empty air to action these events tend to produce, I can’t really complain.