Artur Beterbiev beat Dmitry Bivol to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion this past weekend in Saudi Arabia. The judges scored the fight a majority decision in Beterbiev's favor.
The fight ended Bivol's unbeaten run of 23 professional fights. Beterbiev got the nod from two judges with scores of 115-113 and 116-112, while one judge saw it as a draw at 114-114.
Some observers felt the outcome didn't match what they saw in the ring. Ryan Garcia, Shakur Stevenson, and Eddie Hearn questioned the decision, particularly the 116-112 scorecard.
After the fight, Beterbiev shared his feelings about his new status.
"Not bad, a good feeling. I spent more than 30 years in this sport. To be in this sport and not be a bad boxer is good."
The talk quickly turned to what's next for both fighters. When asked about an immediate rematch in an interview with iFL TV, Beterbiev said:
"Yeah, I think so, yes."
His trainer, John Scully, backed up the idea of a rematch:
"We wouldn't need to go to cruiserweight. No disrespect at all, but I don't even know any cruiserweight champions are. So fights with Benavidez and Buatsi, I think those would be big light-heavyweight fights. But I think everybody in the world would say today they have to do a rematch. I think everybody would say that."
The rematch will likely happen, given the close nature of the fight and the controversy surrounding the decision. Fans will also be keen to hear Bivol's take on who hits harder between Beterbiev and Canelo Alvarez, whom he beat in a previous fight.
For now, Beterbiev can enjoy his status as the undisputed light heavyweight champion, a title he's worked towards for over three decades in the sport.
