Russian boxer Artur Beterbiev, who will defend his light heavyweight title against Dmitry Bivol, has had a tragic and devastating time in his native Russia due to the wars that have taken place since the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Before taking up boxing, he and his family suffered the ravages of armed conflict.
Beterbiev is ranked as one of the most dominant fighters in the world, with 21 victories, and only one of them by decision. His ferocity and bravery was acquired in Khasavyurt, Dagestan, Russia, an area with a rich history of combat sports.
After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Artur and his family survived three wars, the bloodiest of which were the fighting for the independence of Chechnya, where he saw countless people die in front of his eyes. They had to turn their home into a shelter for the victims and help all those in need.
Artur Beterbiev is the youngest of four brothers. It was a ruthless environment where everyone had to go out to work to support the household. But they also helped him pursue his dreams in the ring.
His life as a family man
The Russian boxer likes to keep his private life as secret and out of the spotlight as much as possible. Beterbiev resides in the city of Montreal, Canada, in a quiet environment with his wife Medina, who is a native of Russia and together, the couple are parents to four children, two boys and two girls between the ages of seven and 14.
The parents kept the identity of these children secret. Considering that the boxer’s professional life has been in the spotlight for a long time, it is understandable that he likes to avoid them as a protective measure to protect his children from the incessant attention and fame, which can be exhausting
Artur Beterbiev’s father was his support and obstacle to start boxing
“The Rabbit’s” father, Gasan Beterbiev, worked as a bus driver, but in 2001 he was involved in an accident and lost his life. For years he forbade Artur from going to gyms to train in boxing. After his death, his brothers never stopped him from following his passions. In 2002 he received an invitation to attend an Olympic boxing school in Moscow.
His mother, the inspiration to focus on the future
Although his mother’s name is not publicly known, it is known that she was a nurse and helped hundreds of people during the war years. After the death of her husband, she forced Artur to attend university so that he would not think about his father’s death. This was the case and the light heavyweight giant is grateful to his mother for everything she has done.
This Saturday he will fight the light heavyweight rematch against Dmitry Bivol in Saudi Arabia, a very important fight in his professional career, but without a doubt the most intense fights were in his own war-torn country.
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