Artur Beterbiev issues ice-cold response to question about shaking Dmitry Bivol's hand ahead of boxing rematch: "You want to beat me"

Artur Beterbiev is as focused as ever heading into his rematch with Dmitry Bivol. In fact, he is outright refusing to shake his rival's hand, detailing his reasoning in a recent interview with DAZN. According to Beterbiev, there is no reason to shake Bivol's hand prior to their bout given what's at stake.

They will settle their differences in a fight, during which they will each do everything in their power to defeat the other. Why then, would Beterbiev shake hands with a man determined to cause him bodily harm and wrestle his championship away from him?

"It's very simple. Like, for example, we had fight tomorrow night. Like, you want to beat me. You want to punch me the hardest as possible. Then why do I give shake?"

Check out Artur Beterbiev's reasons for not shaking Dmitry Bivol's hand (2:45):

The upcoming bout between Beterbiev and Bivol is one of the most highly anticipated rematchees of 2025. Their first encounter ended with a controversial majority decision win for the Dagestani bruiser, with some believing that Bivol had done enough to earn the judges' nod.

Now, Beterbiev, who was unhappy with his performance against Bivol, will be determined to score a more dominant victory and leave no doubt that he is the superior boxer. Meanwhile, Bivol will be equally hungry for a win, as he chases undisputed light heavyweight gold.

Furthermore, Bivol will be driven to avenge his lone career loss, as he was previously undefeated prior to his first outing with Beterbiev. He had conqured greats like Canelo Alvarez, but the Dagestani power-puncher proved to be a cut above the rest.

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Artur Beterbiev's only decision was against Dmitry Bivol

Before faing Dmitry Bivol for the first time, Artur Beterbiev boasted one of the most terrifying records in contemporary boxing. He was 20-0 with 20 stoppages to his name. However, when he and Bivol locked horns, history was written, as he went to decision for the very first time.

Bivol's defensive wizardry and technical skill proved sufficient in neutralizing, to a certain extent, Beterbiev's legendary power. Moreover, the Dagestani bruiser was compromised by a then newly recovered knee, enabling Bivol to see all 12 rounds against him.