Joe Smith Jr. has had two high-profile knockout victories in his career. Dmitry Bivol has the chance to be the next light heavyweight star. The two meet on Saturday in a match you can live stream for free on DAZN.
While Bivol is a heavy betting favorite vs. Smith, Bivol still hasn’t completely convinced boxing fans that he can take over the 175-pound weight division and be its standout for the next several years.
In part, that modicum of doubt in Bivol makes this an interesting fight to watch. Bivol is probably a better boxer, but Smith has concussive power, and it wouldn’t be a complete shocker to see him pull off the upset. Either way, if you’re a boxing fan, this is a fight you should watch.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch the Bivol vs. Smith live stream for free.
Dmitry Bivol vs. Joe Smith Jr.
- When: Saturday, March 9, at 7pm ET
- Where: Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY
- Streaming: DAZN (free with one-month trial)
What is DAZN?
The only way to watch Bivol face Smith in the U.S. is to fire up the DAZN app. If you’ve never signed up for DAZN, you can get a one-month free trial. After that, it’s $9.99 per month, but you can cancel at any time.
DAZN made its way to the U.S. in September 2018, and it continues to make big news with the fighters who will fight on the platform. Canelo Alvarez, the biggest boxing star in North America, will fight Daniel Jacobs in a middleweight title showdown in May—the second fight of Alvarez’s $365 million deal with DAZN. Anthony Joshua, the biggest star in Europe, will defend his heavyweight title vs. Jarrell Miller on DAZN in June, and there have been reports that Gennady Golovkin, probably the third-most popular fighter in the world behind Alvarez and Joshua, will also sign a deal with DAZN.
Combine all that with a solid number of MMA cards, and DAZN says it’ll stream more than 100 events per year. Considering what boxing fans would have to shell out for pay-per-view events featuring the three boxers listed above, $9.99 per month is a great deal.
DAZN works with Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and both iOS and Android phones. All you have to do is download the DAZN app and log-in with your subscription credentials. You can also stream via computer browsers Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Internet Explorer, and Opera.
Bivol vs. Smith: Why it matters
Bivol (15-0, 11 knockouts) has been a star on the rise in the past few years after posting victories against solid fighters like Sullivan Barrera, Isaac Chilemba, and former titlist Jean Pascal. But as his opposition has gotten better, people have begun to wonder if he’s really as good as we thought he was. Yes, he’s continued to win, but he hasn’t scored a knockout in his last two fights and hasn’t looked as dominant as he once did.
Bivol isn’t worried about a lack of knockouts, though.
“Of course people want to see knockouts,” Bivol told the Daily Dot. “But sometimes you can show good fights, the good boxing skills, and the people like it too. Having power doesn’t always lead you to getting a knockout.”
Punching power, of course, can also lead you to boxing riches. Ask Smith (24-2, 20 KOs).
Less than three years ago, Smith had a full-time job as a day laborer in New York, and he was considered a big underdog to Andrzej Fonfara on a nationally televised bout. Then, Smith did this to Fonfara.
That was named by Ring magazine as the Upset of the Year in 2016. Eventually, it led Smith to an encounter with Bernard Hopkins where Smith made a six-figure payday and then knocked the legendary Hopkins out of the ring to end his career.
Seven months later, Smith lost to Barrera—the same Barrera that Bivol knocked out in the 12th round—so he’s looking to prove again that he has the kind of power that can stop a well-established fighter like Bivol.
“I put everything I had into this training camp,” said Smith, who’s a 10/1 underdog (Bivol, meanwhile, is a -2500 favorite, meaning you’d have to wager $2,500 to win a puny $100). “I worked real hard … This is what every fighter dreams of, having a shot at the world title. This is my shot, and the work has put in over the years and I’m going show that this Saturday.”
Bivol vs. Smith live stream schedule
- Dmitry Bivol vs. Joe Smith Jr.
- Maurice Hooker vs. Mikkel LesPierre
- Callum Johnson vs. Seanie Monaghan
- Sergey Kuzmin vs. Joey Dawejko
- Yamaguchi Falcao vs. Paul Mendez
- Junior Younan vs. TBA
- Otha Jones III vs. TBA
- Israil Madrimov vs. Frank Rojas
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