Oleksandr Usyk is siding with Dmitry Bivol to defeat Artur Beterbiev in Riyadh on Saturday.
Beterbiev and Bivol look to emulate the feat Usyk has achieved on two occasions, by winning the undisputed championship, albeit at light heavyweight at the Kingdom Arena.
Usyk, who was dropped by Beterbiev in an amateur contest, before winning on points admits he is leaning towards WBA champion, Bivol.
“I guess Bivol,” the 37-year-old told the 3 Knockdown Rule.
“He has good legs, good movement.
“I watched the fight with Canelo Alvarez.
“Good boxing, defending, counter-punching and combinations.”
Beterbiev, who has recorded 20 knockouts from as many bouts, heads into Saturday’s showdown as a very slight underdog and puts his WBC, WBO and IBF titles on the line.
Usyk, who secured the undisputed heavyweight championship in May with a split decision victory over Tyson Fury, is gearing up to face the Brit again on December 21, also in Riyadh.
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The Ukrainian relinquished the IBF title shortly after the fight, which Daniel Dubois subsequently defended with a brutal fifth round stoppage over Anthony Joshua last month.
Fury, who suffered the first loss of his 36-fight professional career, has vowed to go for the knockout when he faces the two-weight world champion for a second time, in a similar vein to when he halted Deontay Wilder in a their rematch in 2019.
“There’s no secret I’m going in there to knock him out,” the 36-year-old told Undisputed.
“Because I don’t think I’m not going to get a decision no matter what I do.
“I don’t think I’m going to get a boxing decision.
“So I’m going to have to take out the judges’ hands like I did in America that time [against Wilder].
“I’ve got to get him out of there.”
