Joshua Buatsi, the British light heavyweight boxer, thinks Dmitry Bivol won the recent showdown against Artur Beterbiev. The fight ended with Beterbiev getting a majority decision and becoming the undisputed champion, but Buatsi saw it differently.
In a chat with Boxing Now, Buatsi shared his thoughts on the match:
"I'll be honest with you, I genuinely had Bivol winning. When I heard the last score cards I thought OK two judges have seen it the opposite way but the third judge indicated that Bivol had won it but look, that was just my opinion."
When asked if the visible damage to the fighters' faces might have swayed the judges, Buatsi said:
"Both men had bruised faces. It's 12 rounds of fighting the best of each other. In my opinion, I thought Bivol had won."
Buatsi's career has been on the rise since he won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. He's undefeated in 19 professional fights, with 13 of those wins coming by stoppage. He's held the British and Commonwealth light heavyweight titles, and previously held the WBA international light-heavyweight title.
In September, Buatsi added the WBO interim light-heavyweight belt to his collection. He won a split decision against Willy Hutchinson at Wembley Stadium, knocking him down twice in the process. The fight was a tough test for Buatsi, but he came out on top.
Now, Buatsi's name is in the mix for a possible fight with the undisputed champion, Beterbiev. It's a big opportunity that could take Buatsi's career to the next level.
But there's another fight that fans have been asking for - an all-British showdown between Buatsi and Anthony Yarde. It's a match-up that's got boxing fans excited and could be a big draw in the UK.
As Buatsi's star continues to rise in the boxing world, it'll be interesting to see which path he takes next. Will he go for the undisputed title shot against Beterbiev, or will he give the fans the all-British clash they've been wanting? Either way, Buatsi's future in the light heavyweight division looks bright.
