Boxing champion Artur Beterbiev has received praise from Khamzat Chimaev for his outstanding win on January 28. In a boxing bout with the WBO, IBF, and WBC light-heavyweight titles on the line, Artur Beterbiev faced Anthony Yarde.
In the eighth round, Beterbiev defeated his opponent to successfully retain his championships. With a stunning 19-0 record as a professional boxer, Beterbiev is now undefeated. He was reportedly lagging on the cards before that.
FIGHT OF THE YEAR. Arthur Beterbiev KNOCKS OUT Anthony Yarde
now 19-0 with 19 KOs 💀#BeterbievYarde pic.twitter.com/6jXGmAxt46
— GMANE (@GmaneBoxing) January 29, 2023
Beterbiev is famously not a fan of interviews but looks like he made an exception along with some extraordinary claims.
He just picked Logan Paul to beat Mike Tyson if the duo ever boxed together.
The unified light-heavyweight boxing champion spoke to Sun Sport. He talked about ‘Tyson vs Paul’ and about boxing Logan’s younger brother Jake.
Beterbiev said that Tyson’s age and habits will lead him to get bested by Paul.
“I think Logan Paul can beat Mike Tyson of today because Mike Tyson is an old guy now. Mike Tyson is smoking a lot today he’s not a sportsman anymore. He’s not a fighter anymore.”
He said that the “Baddest Man on the Planet” is still a box-office attraction, but he’s past his prime now. Beterbiev was entertained by Tyson’s comeback exhibition against fellow legend Roy Jones Jr. However, he feels like it wasn’t to be taken seriously.
“Of course Mike Tyson has a big name still but he’s not the same Mike Tyson when he was great back in the days.”
“In his peak he was a monster but now he’s an old guy now. Against Roy Jones Jr, they did a good show but it was just an exhibition of 4 rounds but not a real fight.”
Beterbiev also believes that Tyson and Paul won’t be delivering any masterpieces in the ring. He cited Tyson’s age factor as the reason for this, saying that he cannot keep up youngsters like Paul.
“If Mike Tyson and Logan Paul do fight, I think it still will be a show not a good fight, like I said Mike Tyson is an old guy now.”
“And he can’t fight anymore like the young fighters. Even though Logan Paul is not a boxer but he’s young and he has good health and good cardio.”
This is especially surprising considering Logan Paul has NEVER won a boxing bout even by his flimsy standards.
Meanwhile, Logan Paul’s younger brother Jake has talked about boxing Beterbiev. The perception is that Jake is a much more serious competitor than Logan. He has wins over several established ex-MMA champions.
Beterbiev said that he’s open to the idea of such an easy matchup for him.
“Tell him to call me, call my promoter. I’m ready to fight him I think it’s an easy fight for me. Do you think it’s a tough fight for me?” the Dagestani champion said.
Beterbiev believes that he has to KO Paul in the very first round since he’s an elite boxer.
“If I’m a real boxing champion I need to beat guys like Jake Paul in the first round, you know.”
“But maybe something can happen but if I’m a real champion then I should be able to beat this guy in the first round.”
Beterbiev said that Paul “just talks.” and that he’ll be quick to answer any fight offers that Paul may have for him.
“If he offers me a fight I will give him an answer very fast, within seconds,” he said.
He did praise Paul for his win over UFC legend Anderson Silva in the boxing ring. However, Beterbiev also said that boxing is a different animal, so Paul shouldn’t get overconfident.
“Jake Paul fought and beat Anderson Silva – who in the UFC did a good job – but boxing is different, it’s not the same.”