Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol are set to face off again in the 175lb division. The rematch will likely take place in Saudi Arabia in February 2025.
Beterbiev got the better of Bivol in their first fight last October. He won by majority decision and walked away with all four major belts. This made him the first undisputed champion in the division since Roy Jones Jr over 20 years ago.
Fans called for an immediate rematch right after the first fight. Now, it looks like they'll get their wish. An announcement about the second bout is expected soon.
There's some uncertainty about whether all the belts will be on the line. The IBF has named Michael Eifert as the mandatory challenger, which has caused some confusion. But Beterbiev seems confident all titles will be up for grabs.
"I think yes for all the belts," Beterbiev stated.
Eifert, a German boxer with a 13-1 record, earned his spot as the IBF mandatory challenger. He beat Jean Pascal in Canada by unanimous decision in March 2023.
The IBF situation brings to mind what happened with Oleksandr Usyk. He lost his undisputed status when he gave up the IBF belt to rematch Tyson Fury.
In an interesting twist, Beterbiev has also called out Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer. He explained his reasons for wanting to fight Paul, though the details of his explanation weren't provided.
As the boxing world waits for the official announcement, fans can look forward to another thrilling showdown between two of the best in the light heavyweight division.
