Artur Beterbiev set to finally return on March 20 in Moscow
Third time’s a charm?
Light heavyweight titleholder Artur Beterbiev is scheduled to defend his belts against No. 6-ranked contender Adam Deines on March 20 in Moscow, Top Rank has announced. The fight will air live on either ESPN or ESPN+.
Beterbiev was scheduled to meet Deines on Oct. 23 and then on Jan. 30 but had to pull out both times after suffering a rib injury during training and then testing positive for COVID-19.
Beterbiev last fought in October 2019, when he stopped Oleksandr Gvozdyk in the 10th round to unify two 175-pound belts.
“I am excited to finally have a date for the fight,” Beterbiev said. “Now that COVID-19 and the injury are behind me, I am able to prepare well and put on a great show for boxing fans.”
Beterbiev, a two-time Olympian from Russia, has stopped all 15 of his professional opponents. He will be fighting in his home country for the first time.
Deines (19-1-1, 10 KOs) is a native of Russia who fights out of Germany. He stopped Yevgenii Makhteienko in two rounds in his most-recent fight, in September 2019.