Artur Beterbiev isn’t having the easiest time getting back into the ring, but the unified WBC and IBF light heavyweight titleholder is now set to return Oct. 23 in Moscow, and the fight will air in the United States on an ESPN platform.
Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KO) was originally set to face mandatory challenger Meng Fanlong, but Fanlong is out due to visa issues, and Adam Deines will step in to face Beterbiev, as previously reported. Deines (19-1-1, 10 KO) will be a huge underdog, even more than Fanlong was, but it’s a fight to get Beterbiev active again, which he needs. At 35 and having had some injury problems in his career, Beterbiev’s time to cash in as much as possible is now.
There had been previous word that the fight would be moved to Oct. 9 in Yekaterinburg, which was the original planned location on the September date.