“Hot Rod” Radivoje Kalajdzic will step into the ring against Artur Beterbiev as a decided underdog for their International Boxing Federation world light heavyweight championship fight on May 4. Beterbiev recently signed a promotional deal with Top Rank and will defend his title for the second time. Beterbiev is a two-time Russian Olympian that has become one of the most dominant professional boxers in any weight class. Hot Rod Radivoje Kalajdzic may have a catchy nickname but will need far more than that against such a formidable opponent. The one wild card element that Kalajdzic does bring is the reputation of being a slugger with plenty of punching power.
Boxing Odds at BookMaker.eu
Artur Beterbiev -4000
Radivoje Kalajdzic +1600
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Artur Beterbiev (13-0, 13 knockouts) will defend his International Boxing Federation world light heavyweight title against challenger “Hot Rod” Radivoje Kalajdzic (24-1, 17 knockouts) on May 4, 2019 at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California. This championship fight is scheduled for 12 rounds and can be seen on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
Fight Preview
Artur Beterbiev spent the first part of the new year haggling to get out of his old promotional deal with Yvon Michel in order to sign a new deal with Top Rank Boxing on ESPN. It took until the end of March to get everything settled.
“I am relieved and happy to now be able to focus 100 percent on my training and my performances in the ring,” said Beterbiev. “I want to thank Yvon and all the members of the GYM team for their efforts and support in developing my career since arriving in Canada in 2013.”
Michel helped Beterbiev turn pro in 2013 after he moved to Montreal. Michel said that Beterbiev was the best prospect that he had ever signed. Sadly, the relationship between Michel and Beterbiev went bad and ended up with lawyers fighting in the legal ring. After a long period of legal debates and negotiations Michel and Beterbiev agreed to part ways. The settlement is permanent and ends any possibility of a court room battle in the future.
As for Kalajdzic he is best known if not celebrated, for the only loss of his career when he was on the short end of an eight-round split decision against Marcus Brown in 2016. Browne is a current interim light heavyweight champion while “Hot Rod” recovered well enough to win the next three fights that followed what has a highly controversial loss to Brown. In fact, to Kalajdzic and many others it was not really a loss at all.
“I am thrilled to get this opportunity to challenge for a world title against a great fighter like Artur Beterbiev,” said Kalajdzic. “Both of us hit hard so expect fireworks. On May 4, the light heavyweight division will have a new world champion.”
Of the many advantages of going with Top Rank one of the most important of all is that Beterbiev will have the opportunity to face higher quality opponents. Beterbiev enters his contract with Top Rank as the only active champion to have scored knockout wins in each and every one of his fights.
“I am very excited to defend my IBF light heavyweight title on May 4 against a high-quality opponent like Radivoje Kalajdzic,” said Beterbiev. “This will be a great fight and I can’t wait to get in the ring and show once again why I am the best 175-pound boxer in the world.
Boxing Betting Tips
Certainly, Beterbiev carries a big price for this fight and understandably so. He has become a knockout win machine. Indeed, this is Beterbiev’s fight to lose.
Boxing Odds Pick: Artur Beterbiev
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With the boxing odds at BookMaker Sportsbook, you can bet on boxing all year, from smaller cards to pay-per-view events. Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook. Artur Beterbiev vs. Radivoje Kalajdzic takes place on May 4 at Stockton Arena. The fight can be seen on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.