Artur Beterbiev has become the undisputed light-heavyweight champion after beating Dmitry Bivol in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 39-year-old Russian-Canadian won by majority decision, with the judges scoring the fight 114-114, 115-113, and 116-112 in his favor.
The fight, organized by Riyadh Season, went the full distance. Beterbiev's victory marks the end of his impressive 20-fight stoppage streak, as Bivol became the first man to hear the final bell against him.
In the early rounds, Bivol attacked in bursts and used his movement to avoid Beterbiev's heavier shots. As the fight progressed, Beterbiev's thudding punches started to take their toll, and Bivol's movement and countering became less sharp. Despite the intensity of the bout, both fighters managed to stay on their feet throughout.
After the fight, Bivol showed a refreshingly honest attitude in accepting the outcome. He said:
"I want to say thank you for this chance. Thank you to Riyadh Season, Saudi Arabia and His Excellency. I got this chance. I am a warrior. I have to do everything perfect. And I don't have any explanation because it could look like excuses. Just congratulations to Artur and his team. He deserves it. No problem. I just have time to make another decision for my future, that's it … I did my job. I felt I could do better. I always could do better. It's just the opinion of judges. I didn't see the fight. He won. What can I say."
When asked about Beterbiev's power, Bivol acknowledged its impact:
"Of course. He's powerful. Very powerful. You can see I have a bruise from my hand. He always hit it and it was so hard [it bruised when my own hand] hit my eye."
The possibility of a rematch came up, and Bivol seemed open to the idea, saying, "Why not? If I have this chance."
Before the fight, Beterbiev stated that becoming undisputed was his final goal in the division. Now that he's achieved this, he might consider moving up to cruiserweight for new challenges.
Fans will likely be interested in seeing these two warriors face off again. However, Beterbiev's future plans remain uncertain at this point.
The fight details and scoring can be found in The Guardian's live coverage of the event.
