Why is the referee wearing pink during Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol fight?

The two unbeaten Russian rivals will put all the belts on the line in Riyadh in what marks the first undisputed title fight in the division since 2002.

The two pound-for-pound stars were due to fight earlier in the year, but the bout was delayed after Beterbiev injured his knee in training.

Beterbiev has a perfect record, with 20 knockouts in his previous 20 fights, while Bivol is also undefeated and has won all of his 23 fights, including against Mexican great Canelo Alvarez in 2022.

However, fans’ eyes may be drawn to something else in the main event on Saturday evening, with the referee sporting a pink shirt for the unification bout – here is why.

Why is the referee wearing pink during Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol?

Refereeing tonight’s main-event bout will be Thomas Taylor, who recently oversaw Jarrell Miller’s draw with Andy Ruiz back in August.

Tonight, though, the American will be sporting a pink shirt in the ring, a departure from the usual blue or white shirts worn by referees.

The slight change is a decision made by the four governing bodies as they look to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month which takes place during October.

Confirming the decision earlier in the week, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said: ‘All 4 organisations and Riyadh Season join #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth in #BeterbievBivol with the pink shirt of the referee.

‘Early detection saves lives! @ABeterbiev @bivol_d @WBCBoxing @RiyadhSeason @Queensberry @MatchroomBoxing. Don’t miss this great fight on @DAZNBOxing @DisneyPlus presented by @Turki_alalshikh.’

Taylor will be joined by judges Glenn Feldman, Manuel Oliver Palomo and Pawel Kardyni for Saturday’s main event.

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