In the aftermath of their exciting showdown for the undisputed light-heavyweight championship, both Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol have expressed their openness to a rematch after what many are already calling an epic encounter.
The fight, which took place at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia, saw Beterbiev emerge victorious via majority decision, uniting the divisions and solidifying his status as the undisputed light heavyweight champion.
However, the fight was fiercely competitive, with both fighters having their moments, leaving fans and pundits clamoring for a second meeting.
Beterbiev, known for his fearsome knockout power, beat the decision on the scorecards, but the victory did not come easily. Bivol’s speed, movement and counterpunching tested Beterbiev in ways few had done before, as he took the punishment as he pressed forward with his trademark brutal pressure.
After twelve grueling rounds, the judges’ scorecards awarded Beterbiev the victory, although some observers felt Bivol had done enough to win. The final scorecards read: 115-113 and 116-112 for Beterbiev, while the other called the draw at 114-114.
Both Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol have expressed their openness to a rematch after what many are already calling an epic encounter.
In the fight, Beterbiev emerged victorious via majority decision, uniting the divisions and solidifying his status as undisputed light heavyweight champion.
Eddie Hearn felt Bivol (pictured above) was ‘robbed’ of a decision on Saturday evening
In his post-fight interview, Beterbiev acknowledged the difficulty of the match and welcomed the idea of facing Bivol again.
‘I don’t feel bad. I didn’t do well today. I wanted to box with more quality today, you know. I don’t know why, but I didn’t like this fight. But one day I’ll be better.’
‘Of course it is a tough battle, because Dmitry is also world champion. He has good skills, maybe better than me. But today Allah has chosen me.”
“You know, during the fight we always try to make a change. But you know, maybe I just wanted to punch him. Maybe that’s why I don’t throw punches anymore. Don’t know. If His Excellency wants it (a rematch), we can do it.”
Bivol, visibly disappointed but gracious by the defeat, echoed similar sentiments and expressed his desire for a rematch.
‘I don’t have any explanations because it could look like excuses. I just say congratulations to Artur and his team, he deserves it. No problem. I’ve done my job, I always feel like I can do better, it’s just the judges’ opinions. Congratulations Arthur.
‘Yes, of course he is powerful, very powerful. And you see, I have bruises on my hand. He always [landed on my hand] and it was so hard that he reached my eye.”
Eddie Hearn has already hinted he would be open to a rematch as he believes Bivol has been ‘robbed’ of a result. He was annoyed by the fact that he thought Beterbiev’s team was told the result before it was officially announced.
Eddie Hearn has already hinted he would like a rematch as he believes Bivol was ‘robbed’ of the win. He also expressed frustration over the suspicion that Beterbiev’s team had been informed of the result before the official announcement, adding to his dissatisfaction with the outcome.
Eddie Hearn has already hinted he would like a rematch as he believes Bivol was ‘robbed’ of the win. He also expressed frustration at the suspicion that Beterbiev’s team had been informed of the result before the official announcement
“How can we not talk about what just happened in the ring? We just want to forget it. In one of the biggest fights of our generation, the biggest fight of Bivol’s life, you give him four rounds. It’s absolutely disgusting.
“The whole corner knew he had lost the fight. In the tenth round the corner told him: you have to knock him out to win this fight. They stepped into the ring, stood back in the corner and knew Beterbiev had lost. Top Rank knew he had lost.
‘Then suddenly word got around that Beterbiev has a majority decision. I am astounded and disgusted.”
Given the magnitude of the fight and the hunger for a decisive conclusion to their rivalry, a second fight could become one of the most anticipated events in boxing for 2025.