Artur Beterbiev emerged as the undisputed light-heavyweight champion after a hard-fought battle with Dmitry Bivol over a month ago. The judges scored the fight 115-113, 116-112, and 114-114, giving Beterbiev the majority decision victory.
The fight sparked debate in the boxing world. Eddie Hearn, Bivol's promoter, called the result a "robbery." On the other hand, respected boxing figure Teddy Atlas felt Beterbiev deserved the win. The discussion continues, with many still divided on who should have gotten the nod.
David Benavidez, a rising star in the division, shared his thoughts on the bout in a recent interview with Fight Hub TV.
"To be honest when it comes more down to boxing, I think Dmitry Bivol won that fight. When it comes to damage, Beterbiev was probably landing the harder blows but I feel like Bivol did enough to win the fight. It was a great fight. People in boxing won and we get to see it again, and after that hopefully I get the winner."
The fight lived up to its billing, with close action throughout. Bivol bravely chose to exchange with the bigger puncher and showed excellent movement when needed. He became the first fighter to take Beterbiev the distance, ending the champion's streak of 20 knockouts in 20 fights. Beterbiev, for his part, marched forward and looked to land scoring shots wherever he could.
Given the close nature of the bout and the ongoing debate, an immediate rematch seems likely and justified. However, Benavidez has positioned himself as a potential next opponent for the winner.
At 27 years old, Benavidez recently relinquished his interim super-middleweight world title and moved up to the 175-pound division. He made his debut with a win over Oleksandr Gvozdyk and now holds the WBC Interim belt, making him the mandatory challenger for Beterbiev.
Before any potential showdown with the undisputed champion, Benavidez has a big fight on the horizon. He's set to face David Morrell on February 1 in what promises to be an excellent clash.
When asked about a potential rematch between Beterbiev and Bivol, Benavidez offered his thoughts:
"I don't know, that's only questions that those men can answer. But if it's the same exact fight, I see Bivol winning but if they rob it again there's really nothing you can do."
As the dust settles on Beterbiev's victory and the first undisputed light-heavyweight champion in decades is crowned, the division looks set for more fireworks in the coming months.
