Artur Beterbiev won a close fight against Dmitry Bivol to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion. The bout took place in Saudi Arabia this past weekend.
Beterbiev got the nod from the judges with scores of 116-112, 115-113, and a 114-114 draw. Many fans and experts thought Bivol had done enough to win, leading to some controversy after the fight.
Eddie Hearn, Bivol's promoter, didn't hold back his feelings about the decision. He got really upset and said the judge who scored it 116-112 should never work again.
The fight started slow for Beterbiev. Bivol jumped out to an early lead, using his footwork and punching from the outside to keep Beterbiev at bay. As the fight went on, Beterbiev's famous pressure started to show. He clawed back many rounds in the later stages.
This fight marked the first time Beterbiev went the distance in his 21-fight career. After the fight, Bivol acknowledged Beterbiev's power.
Roy Jones Jr., the last undisputed champion at 175 pounds, shared his thoughts on Instagram. He called it a "very fantastic fight" that could have gone either way.
"Nobody won or lost the fight by four points, that's ridiculous," Jones said. He scored the fight a draw and thinks there should be an immediate rematch.
Jones also pointed out that Beterbiev showed more boxing ability than ever before. "He can actually box," Jones said, sounding surprised.
About Bivol, Jones noted: "He's a very good defender and a very good counterpuncher. He jumped out to the early lead."
Jones summed up the fight by saying Bivol took the lead early, but Beterbiev finished stronger. With such a close and controversial outcome, fans will likely want to see these two square off again soon.
