Canelo v Bivol Betting Preview
As far as days go, May 7th is a heavy hitter in the world of combat sports with UFC 274 also taking place , and Canelo v Bivol betting fans get to witness a Light Heavyweight title bout between a beloved and almost undefeated favourite in Canelo, and the current – and lossless! – WBA Light Heavyweight champ in Dmitri Bivol, who added the title to his growing collection.
Canelo Alvarez is on a mission to conquer the entire boxing establishment, having bulked up in weight since his last fight in the Middleweight division against theretofore champion, Caleb Plant, on November 6 2021. At last weigh-in, Canelo had encountered enough second-helpings to hit the 175lbs mark, a figure that served as his ticket to compete. His Light Heavyweight fight with Bivol, which will be his second in this division after dethroning former Light Heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev back in late 2019.
Bivol’s last fight was relatively recent, and in December of 2021 he prevailed by decision against Umar Salamov, who defended his WBA Super World Light Heavyweight title for the 11th time since 2016.
The undercard for Canelo v Bivol is looking just as gritty, with plenty of fights to look forward to at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, NV starting at 8 PM EST.
Canelo v Bivol betting fans will have a tough match to make a call on, and Bodog Casino has been following the moments leading up to the event closely.
Can Bivol Trouble Canelo?
Saul Alvarez, better known as Canelo, is the undisputed favourite with -600 odds to beat underdog Dmitry Bivol (+395) in the main event. The drastic divide in the odds may appear to be a cut and dry case for this fight, but is it possible that Bivol could cause an upset and hang on to his WBA Light Heavyweight title?
Canelo
Canelo is the Super Undisputed Middleweight champion that’s often referred to as “The Face of Boxing”. He’s only recorded one loss in his career which was to Floyd Mayweather via 12-round majority decision. To say he’s a strong fighter would be an understatement. Just ask Rocky Fielding, Liam Smith, and Amir Khan whom Canelo knocked out with a single-punch erasure.
Bivol
Russian-born Bivol is undefeated in his career, which alone is enough to put the fear of god into most opponents. Along the way he’s picked up belts for the Super Welterweight and Middleweight divisions, and has successfully staved off eight attempts to take his WBA Light Heavyweight title, having defended it since 2017. Bivol is a sharp, disciplined boxer with an undisputed record – but Bivol has never faced an opponent like Canelo.
Fighting Styles
When it comes to fighting styles, these two fighters couldn’t be any more different.
Bivol is a traditional boxer with a conservative fighting style. He relies mainly on technique, choosing his shots with care and precision. Canelo, on the other hand, is an outright brawler who hits hard and fast, having 36 knockouts out of his 54 career wins.
What it takes for Bivol to Win
If Bivol stands a realistic chance to outfight Canelo, he’ll need to do it with his brains rather than brute force, which certainly isn’t out of the question.
One way Bivol can use his wit to outsmart Canelo is by exploiting the same weakness that Erislandy Lara and Amir Khan have already figured out, which is to enter his territory by surprise. Canelo tends to slow his reaction time in these circumstances, which could be just the opening Bivol needs to trojan in his technical striking.
Other Boxers Weigh In
Former professional boxer and boxing commentator Timothy Bradley says Canelo has a habit of tiring out his opponents before going for the jab, but he thinks he’s unlikely to stop Bivol. Shakhram Giyasov, who will appear on the undercard fight for the Canelo v Bivol card, has faith in Bivol’s victory – which isn’t so surprising, given that they train together.
Multiple titleholder Gervonta Davis believes that Canelo must have learned plenty from his 2013 loss to Floyd Mayweather, and sentiment among his fellow boxers seem to favour a Canelo show, with the majority backing the Mexican despite Bivol’s technical skill set.
Montana Love v Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela
In the undercard fight, we’ll see two Lightweight fighters do their ring walk around 8:00 PM EST for a 12-round bout.
The two rivals are both 27 years old, but Mexico’s Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela has significantly more experience in the ring than Cleveland native Montana Love, with 135 professional rounds to Love’s 81.
Valenzuela entered the top 10 in IBF rankings after defeating Robbie Davies Jr. by decision, which was his first ever fight outside of his home country Mexico, having recorded 20 wins prior.
If Love has it his way, he’ll knock Valenzuela down a few notches in the rankings and take over his spot – which isn’t out of the question for this particularly strong fighter. He has yet to be defeated with 17 wins, nine of those by way of knockout.
More experience doesn’t necessarily mean more ability, and -650 odds say that Love has a better chance of defeating Valenzuela at odds of +450.
Shakhram Giyasov v Christian Gomez
Two knockout artists will have a clash in the IBF North American Welterweight title fight in yet another highly anticipated bout in the undercard for Canelo v Bivol.
Uzbekistan’s Shakhram ‘Wonder Boy’ Giyasov is heading into the Welterweight title fight after securing a 10-round win in the Catchweight division in Uzbekistan. At 28 years old, Giyasov ranks No. 7 in the WBA and No. 10 in the IBF for the Lightweight division. With odds of -450 to Gomez’s +300, it’s looking like Giyasov is primed for battle.
That said, the Uzbec will need more than decent rankings to outfight the dangerous Christian Gomez, especially since Gomez will be backed by a roaring crowd of fellow countryman Canelo’s fans, and he has remained undefeated for his last six fights which he won via KO.
The fights are nearly here, and you won’t want to blink for a second to miss the action with Canelo v Bivol betting. Head to Bodog Casino and take your pick: Will underdog Bivol cause an upset to favourite Canelo? You decide.