Artur Beterbiev vs. Marcus Browne Preview, Press Conference & Weigh-in Video

Beterbiev vs. Browne Top Rank ESPN + Bell Centre Montreal Preview

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

Montreal, Canada(December 17th, 2021)– The unified, World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation World Light Heavyweight titles will be at stake in the main event of a Top Rank ESPN + eight bout card on Friday, December 17, 2021, as the champion, Artur Beterbiev, 16-0 with 16 knockouts, Montreal, Canada by way of the Russian Federation, defends against southpaw top contender Marcus Browne, 24-1 with 16 knockouts, Carteret, New Jersey.

Browne is predicted to win by majority or split decision over 12 rounds in a hard fought battle which Beterbiev’s corner will not expect. A head butt or accident cut of some kind could send the bout to the scorecards prematurely in the later rounds, if the technical battle is fought closely on the inside. This sort of a fight could trigger a lot of holding. Both combatants have the same number of knockouts. However, Browne is one class above the rest of Beterbiev’s opponents, including Oleksandr Gvozdyk. If the bout goes to the scorecards in event of a technical stoppage, the scorecards could be close. A knockout is a better road for either fighter, and knockdowns could affect scoring. Whichever fighter does the better power shot work could prove the difference in a long, prolonged battle.

In the preliminary bout to the main event, 20-1 super middleweight Steve Rolls of Toronto, Canada, is predicted to win by eighth or ninth round stoppage over 16-8 Christopher Brooker of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rolls has one loss, to Gennady Golovkin, and could stop Brooker earlier. Brooker has gone the ten round distance to win once in his career, a ten round decision over Lanell Bellows in 2018. However, Brooker has been stopped in the second round and the third round of his only other two bouts scheduled for ten rounds, which is not a good sign.

The former International Boxing Federation Female World Super Welterweight champion, 17-1 Marie Eve DiCaire of Quebec, Canada, is predicted to regain her vacant IBF title by seventh round stoppage over 9-0 Cynthia Lozano of Monterrey, Mexico, has never faced an opponent with a winning record on her padded record.

12-1 Yan Pellerin, Granby, Canada, age 41, is predicted to win the vacant World Boxing Organization NABO Cruiserweight title over 15-2 Francisco Rivas of Allende, Mexico. Russian southpaw 8-0 super lightweight Movladdin Biyarslanov is predicted to win by eight round decision over 9-2 Alan Ayala Crisosto of Guadalajara, Mexico. 10-0 heavyweight prospect Brandon Moore of Lakeland, Florida, is predicted to win by third-round knockout over Abraham Pascal of Tlaxcala, Mexico. 14-0 super lightweight Mazlum Akdeniz is predicted to win by third-round stoppage over 9-4 Arturo Bustamonte of Mexico City, Mexico. Kazakhstan southpaw super welterweight 18-1 Batyrzhan Jukembayev is predicted to win by fourth-round stoppage over 28-10 journeyman veteran Juan Jose Martinez of Mexico City, Mexico.

Press Conference Notes & Quotes: Unified Champion Artur Beterbiev Set for Montreal Homecoming Versus Marcus Browne LIVE and Exclusively on ESPN+ Friday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT CLICK HERE to watch the Press Conference MONTREAL (Dec. 15, 2021)— Artur Beterbiev, the Russian-born puncher who moved to Montreal nearly a decade ago to begin his professional career, will finally get the chance to defend his titles in his adopted hometown. Beterbiev (16-0, 16 KOs), boxing’s only world champion with a 100 percent knockout rate, will defend his WBC and IBF light heavyweight titles against 2012 U.S. Olympian Marcus Browne this Friday at Bell Centre in Montreal. Browne (24-1, 16 KOs), who once held an interim world title, returned to the ring in April with a 10-round decision over Denis Grachev. He lost his interim belt in August 2019 via technical decision to Jean Pascal, which came off the heels of his career-best victory over Badou Jack. Browne, in his first bout outside of the United States, hopes to stun Beterbiev, who is upwards of an 11-1 betting favorite. Beterbiev unified world titles in October 2019 with a 10th-round TKO over Oleksandr Gvozdyk and returned to action in March with a 10th-round stoppage over Adam Deines. At Wednesday’s press conference, this is what the main event fighters and their trainers had to say. Artur Beterbiev “We are ready. We had a good training camp, and I am ready to show my best on Friday night.” Marc Ramsay (Beterbiev’s Trainer) “I’m very enthusiastic about this fight. It’s been a long time since we have been able to defend the titles in front of a crowd in Montreal, and we look forward to that. It’s been a great training camp. We’ve seen Marcus before, so we know his strengths and weaknesses, and you will see what happens on Friday night.” Marcus Browne  “We trained hard for the fight. He’s a tough customer, but on Friday night, we are changing the narrative.” “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe, and come Friday night, you will see. I’m tired of talking. I want to fight.” Derrick James (Browne’s Trainer) “We’re very happy to be here. I found out when we got here that Marcus was a huge underdog, and we embrace that. This will be a historic fight. After Marcus wins the title, it will make me the only trainer in history to have three unified champions at the same time: Marcus Browne, Jermell Charlo, and Errol Spence.” “I know who I am. I know Marcus will do what I ask him to do. When he came to me, he was already a good fighter and I just helped him build on that. I believe in myself, and I believe in Marcus.” Friday, December 17, 2021 ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT Artur Beterbiev vs. Marcus Browne, 12 rounds, Beterbiev’s WBC/IBF Light Heavyweight World Titles Marie-Eve Dicaire vs. Cynthia Lozano, 10 rounds, Vacant IBF Female Junior Middleweight World Title Steve Rolls vs. Christopher Brooker, 10 rounds, super middleweight Yan Pellerin vs. Francisco Rivas, 10 rounds, Vacant NABO Cruiserweight Title Arthur Biyarslanov vs. Alan Ayala Crisosto, 8 rounds, junior welterweight Batyrzhan Jukembayev vs. Juan Jose Martinez, 6 rounds, welterweight Weigh-In Results: Artur Beterbiev vs. Marcus Browne Event Starts This Friday 8PM ET on ESPN +

• CLICK HERE for PHOTOS Credit: GYM/Bernard Brault • CLICK HERE for VIDEO(ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT)

    •    Artur Beterbiev 175 lbs vs. Marcus Browne 174.6 lbs 
(Beterbiev’s WBC & IBF Light Heavyweight World Titles — 12 Rounds)

•    Marie-Eve Dicaire 153 lbs vs. Cynthia Lozano 151.2 lbs 
(Vacant IBF Female Junior Middleweight World Title — 10 Rounds)

   •       Steve Rolls 166.8 lbs vs. Christopher Brooker 166.4 lbs
(Super Middleweight — 10 Rounds)

   •       Yan Pellerin 199 lbs vs. Francisco Rivas 198.2 lbs
(Vacant NABO Cruiserweight Title — 10 Rounds)

   •     Arthur Biyarslanov 139.6 lbs vs. Alan Ayala Crisosto 138.8 lbs
(Junior Welterweight — 8 Rounds)

WATCH ON ESPN +

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Robert Brizel - Head Boxing Correspondent

Robert Brizel - Head Boxing Correspondent

Robert is the Head Boxing Correspondent for Real Combat Media Boxing since 2013. Robert is also a photographer and ringside reporter for the RCM Tri State region which includes NJ, NY and PA. Robert conducts exclusive interviews, provides historical boxing articles and provides editorial ringside coverage of major boxing events. You can contact or follow Robert on Facebook and by email at [email protected].