Dmitry Bivol defends his IBF light heavyweight title against the undefeated Malik Zinad in a featured boxing attraction from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Boxing odds have Bivol a massive -2,500 favorite, and Zinad is a +1,200 underdog. Here are my free betting picks and Bivol vs. Zinad predictions from Leeds.
Bivol vs Zinad prediction and pick
- My fight prediction
Dmitry Bivol moneyline (-2,500 at FanDuel) - My best bet
Dmitry Bivol to win by points or decision (+125 at FanDuel)
Fight analysis
Dmitry Bivol was originally slated to face Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed light heavyweight title but gets a reprieve as an injury will sideline Beterbiev until the fall.
It doesn’t bother Bivol, not just because he’s shown no interest in Beterbiev for the seven years they’ve both held world titles, but because he’s getting a tune-up against Zinad. While we’ve seen massive upsets happen in these situations before, the disciplined and mechanical Bivol has nothing to worry about here.
From what I’ve seen of Zinad, he’s a decent fighter on a regional level with some good qualities. He displays decent hand speed and stopping power and has a good technical base, but he’s wildly unproven and taking a massive step up in class. Zinad isn’t reserved and will let his hands go once he feels he’s opening his opponents up, but when he’s not punching in sequence, he loads up all his power shots to the point where Bivol can choose to pivot out or counter.
One thing about Bivol is that he doesn’t take any risks and wouldn’t dare fight out of character with a huge payday with Beterbiev down the line. There is the risk with most of Bivol’s fights that he’ll get caught late or might get too comfortable even if the fight gets close, but those have been against world-class opponents like Saul Alvarez and Gilberto Ramirez, not against the type of opponents he was fighting as a prospect.
There will be no drama to find in this one. Bivol methodically boxes his way past an overmatched Zinad and secures his fall showdown with Beterbiev.
Pick: Dmitry Bivol moneyline (-2,500 at FanDuel)
Best best analysis
This should be the kind of fight where Bivol spares us going the distance and stops Zinad, but Bivol is not a puncher and is happy to carry a fighter the whole way through if it’s the safest thing to do. It’s been six years since his last stoppage and it’ll be six years and counting after this fight, too.
With Zinad likely to be busy enough to make Bivol work in the early rounds, his output will pick up, and he’ll have Zinad shut down before the sixth. The stinging counter shots, subtle defensive movements, and experience will be too much for the upstart underdog to overcome, resorting to wildly swinging away while getting chipped away each passing round.
It’ll be a foregone conclusion that Bivol will win this fight, and true to form, he’ll be content with a calculated performance paying off with a decision win at the end.
Pick: Dmitry Bivol to win by points or decision (+125 at FanDuel)
Dmitry Bivol vs Malik Zinad odds
| Method of victory | Dmitry Bivol | Malik Zinad |
|---|---|---|
| Win outright | -2,500 | +1,200 |
| Win by KO/TKO | -135 | +1,900 |
| Win by points or decision | +125 | +4,900 |
| Draw | +3,800 | +3,800 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 6-1.
Dmitry Bivol vs Malik Zinad tale of the tape
| Dmitry Bivol | Malik Zinad | |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | Age | 30 |
| 6-feet | Height | 6-foot-1 |
| 174 pounds | Weight | 180 pounds |
| 72 inches | Reach | 74 inches |
| 22-0 (11 KOs) | Record | 22-0 (16 KOs) |
Not intended for use in MA.
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