Artur Beterbiev eyes up heavyweight division after victory over Joe Smith Jr.

Following Artur Beterbiev's victory over Joe Smith Jr. on Saturday night in New York, the Russian is eyeing a move to the heavyweight division in the future.

Beterbiev vs. Smith Jr. was scheduled for 12 rounds of boxing, but the heavy-hitting Russian took advantage in the second round. Smith Jr. was caught with a repetitive flurry of heavy shots until the referee waved off the fight.

Now that the 37-year-old has unified the division with the IBF, WBC and WBO Light Heavyweight World Titles, he's set his ambitions even higher. Of course, he will first look to take part in an all-Russian undisputed bout against Dmitry Bivol too.

Furthermore, there's a major possibility that Beterbiev may compete against England's Anthony Yarde in the United Kingdom.

According to TalkSport's Michael Benson, the Russian fighter told reporters that he intends to eventually enter the heavyweight division.

The Russian is still only 18 fights into his professional career, following an experienced amateur career.

Additionally, he has previously entered the 12th round only once, against Enrico Koelling in 2017. However, a knockout was still scored and Beterbiev is still yet to reach the final bell with his 100% knockout rate.

Although the athlete is a naturally hard-hitting knockout artist, he would face competitors with strong punches in the heavyweight division.

It does seem as though Beterbiev plans on completing the challenges that are already set in his current division before moving up. This could allow him to gain a little more experience in the latter rounds, in preparation for the step up.

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What options does Artur Beterbiev have next?

We could end up seeing Artur Beterbiev inside the ring with the likes of Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk in the future when he chooses to make the step up.

A matchup against Usyk wouldn't be too unusual due to the pair already contesting against each other multiple times in the amateurs. The Ukrainian mostly got the better of Beterbiev but the Russian would look to use his power as a professional to his advantage.

Before Beterbiev makes the decision to move up to the heavyweight division, there are still obstacles to pass in his current weight class.

Dmitry Bivol will likely make a defense of his belt and then rematch with Canelo Alvarez following the Russian's shock victory over the Mexican in May. The winner of that fight will be the likely candidate for Beterbiev to face before moving into the heavyweight division. This would be an undisputed fight for all the belts.

Before a potential undisputed fight, it looks more likely that the Russian will make a defense of his belts against England's Anthony Yarde. The matchup will likely take place in England, which will allow the Russian to showcase his skills to a new audience.

Watch Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. here: