Both Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol weighed just under the featherlight heavyweight limit to take part in Saturday’s undisputed title fight at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

The slimmer, slightly taller Bivol, 33, weighed 67.12 pounds. Beterbiev, 39, whose torn meniscus forced him to postpone the coveted competition to June 1, weighed 60.9 kg.

The Russians looked at each other for a moment, showing mutual respect, and then left the stage with the same tranquil with which they arrived.

“I’m always like this,” Bivol told DAZN during the ceremonial weigh-in. “I’m laid back, but also focused. It means a lot to me, but at the same time I try to forget everything I’ve been through. Thank you for everything, for everyone and now I only focus on Saturday.

“I just need to eat well, sleep and be ready. I’m used to this. I have been fighting since I was six years ancient.”

“Good as usual,” Beterbiev replied when asked about his well-being. “[My] favorite part is the fighting. Like I said, we’ll see. I’m getting ready to fight.”

Their recent reluctance to express themselves led to Bivol promoter Eddie Hearn, long associated with DAZN, attempting to promote Saturday’s fight again and saying: “It’s a great generational fight. The best featherlight heavyweight fight in decades.

“Two icy competitors. This is a chance for Dmitry Bivol to fulfill a lifelong dream. “

The full weighing results are as follows

Lightweight heavyweight – 12 rounds

Artur Beterbiev (174.9 pounds) vs. Dmitry Bivol (174.12 pounds)

Heavyweight – 12 rounds

Fabio Wardley (241.6 lbs) vs Frazer Clarke (271.3 lbs)

Cruiserweight – 12 rounds

Jai Opetaia (198.6 pounds) vs. Jack Massey (199.13 pounds)

Middleweight – 12 rounds

Chris Eubank Jnr (159.1 pp) vs Kamil Szeremeta (159.1 pp)

Featherweight – 10 two-minute rounds

Skye Nicolson (125.9 pounds) vs. Raven Chapman (125.9 pounds)

Lightweight heavyweight – 10 rounds

Ben Whittaker (174.9 pounds) vs Liam Cameron (174.6 pounds)

Super featherweight – four rounds

Mohammed Alakel (131 pounds) vs. Jesus Gonzalez (131 pounds)

In an incredibly unexpected twist as politics seeps into global sport, Imane Khelif accidentally became one of the stories of the 2024 Olympics. A robust Algerian athlete, focused on giving her all to represent her country by winning a medal; a combination of fact, fiction and a lot of hyperbole sent the boxer into a whirlwind of unwanted attention over the summer.

Even though the heat has subsided, malicious posts have recently appeared on social media claiming that the IOC has stripped Khelif of her medal and that the World Boxing Organization (WBO) has banned her from participating in future competitions. The posts received enough attention, leading to a fact-check by Reuters and an official WBO statement regarding the rumors.

“Reports claiming that the WBO has banned Khelifa are patently false. We had no contact with Khelif. We congratulate her and wish her good luck in all her future endeavors,” said WBO General Counsel Gustavo Olivieri, Esq.

“Any report stating otherwise is patently false and ill-intentioned.”

Despite the confusion, Khelif won gold at the Paris Olympics in the welterweight category. At one point, her opponent left the ring, claiming that she had never been hit so demanding before. This added fuel to claims at the time that Khelif had failed a chromosome test and was in fact a male athlete.

The The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also commented on the latest development, stating: “There is absolutely no truth to these claims.”