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Artur Beterbiev has 18 fights and 18 knockouts| Venue: OVO Arena, Wembley Date: Saturday, 28 January |
| Coverage: Follow unrecorded substance sum and absorption connected BBC Sport website & app from 21:00 GMT |
Artur Beterbiev is the lone satellite champion successful boxing to person a 100% knockout rate.
To his fans helium is known arsenic a merciless relation who would alternatively bash his talking successful the ring. To his opponents, helium is simply a puzzling powerhouse, unmoving and seemingly unfazed by each combatant helium has ever faced.
To his team, helium is continually overlooked arsenic a pound-for-pound great. To his critics, helium is thing other entirely.
On Saturday nighttime helium defends his WBC, WBO and IBF light-heavyweight titles against British challenger Anthony Yarde.
BBC Sport takes a look astatine the antheral down the ferocious reputation.
What makes Beterbiev a peculiar fighter?
In the ringing Beterbiev is known arsenic a ruthless finisher. All his 18 opponents person wilted nether the unit and lone erstwhile has Beterbiev been taken to the 12th circular successful his pro career. It took Beterbiev 2 rounds to halt rival champion Joe Smith Jr past summer.
He has a formidable amateur grounds too, losing conscionable 5 times successful 300 fights. But his coaches accidental determination is nary concealed look to Beterbiev's power.
"He doesn't spell looking for the knockout," manager Marc Ramsey said.
But erstwhile light-middleweight champion Hannah Rankin points retired Beterbiev should not beryllium considered a one-punch knockout artist.
"He wears down his opponents and yet the punches instrumentality their toll. It's accumulative," Rankin said.
"He dilatory unravels people. And he's got a large chin. I've seen him instrumentality immoderate large punches and locomotion consecutive done them and propulsion backmost his own.
"He's got this steadfast mindset wherever he's unmovable. That's however helium comes across. That's wherever his monster estimation comes from."
Russia looms ample implicit Beterbiev successful London
Beterbiev was calved successful Russia but has lived successful Canada for much than a decade. He gained Canadian citizenship successful 2022 and was capable to side-step moves from wrong boxing astatine the clip to halt Russian fighters competing pursuing the penetration of Ukraine.
He fought for Russia passim his amateur career. Despite efforts from his squad to region him from Russia, the governmental undertones remain.
Beterbiev has been pictured galore times with Chechen person Ramzan Kadyrov, who has been accused of a litany of quality rights abuses.
Kadyrov is simply a beardown protagonist of Russia's penetration of Ukraine and tin often beryllium seen with fighters similar UFC prima Khamzat Chimaev.
Beterbiev travelled to conscionable Kadyrov past June aft his past combat to observe with him, posting astir it connected societal media.
Last October, Beterbiev wrote a lengthy Instagram station connected his transportation with Kadyrov, celebrating him and saying: "I americium arrogant [Kadyrov] is straight related to my career."
Kadyrov is banned from entering the US and Canada and continues to usage fighters similar Beterbiev to beforehand his image. This week Beterbiev refused to reply questions from the Guardian newspaper astir Kadyrov.
Beterbiev has not spoken publically astir the warfare successful Ukraine but astatine the quality league connected Thursday, Ukrainian flyweight satellite champion Artem Dalakian decided to beryllium connected the challenger's broadside of the apical array truthful helium would not beryllium sat successful beforehand of the representation of Beterbiev.
Can Beterbiev beryllium defeated?
According to Rankin, Beterbiev has nary weaknesses. According to Yarde, determination is nary anticipation his hostile - who turned 38 past week - could beryllium successful decline.
Beterbiev's adjunct manager John Scully revealed his combatant had nary thought who Yarde was until helium met him successful London successful December astatine the archetypal media event.
But Beterbiev says helium has treated Yarde arsenic earnestly arsenic immoderate different opponent.
"I person a mates of strategies, but I can't archer you," helium said.
"As a boxer helium is simply a bully situation for me. He has bully nonrecreational career, he's had bully fights. I've prepared for him similar everyone else."
Beterbiev's assurance is understated, but obvious. Asked if helium feels immoderate pressure, helium replied: "No, I'm good."
But Yarde believes Beterbiev's assurance whitethorn enactment against him. And Rankin thinks it is Beterbiev's self-belief successful his quality to instrumentality a changeable that could unfastened the doorway to an upset.
"Beterbiev is unfastened to beryllium hit," Rankin said - Briton Callum Johnson knocked Beterbiev down erstwhile they fought successful 2018.
"Yarde is simply a large puncher and has much manus speed, helium tin beryllium precise explosive. If Yarde tin get going helium tin enactment the unit on."
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