Oleksandr Usyk agrees with Artur Beterbiev's victory over Dmitry Bivol in their recent light heavyweight clash. The Ukrainian heavyweight champion shared his thoughts on the close contest that took place in October.
Beterbiev and Bivol fought for 12 rounds to decide the undisputed light heavyweight champion. Bivol started well, relying on his technical skills. Beterbiev finished stronger, showing visible aggression in the later rounds. The judges awarded the victory to Beterbiev on the scorecards, though many in the sport felt Bivol deserved the nod.
In a recent interview with Boxing King Media, Usyk shared his take on the fight:
"Yeah I watched this fight, I think Beterbiev win. Listen, for me, I say for me, six-six for rounds, but the more important was Beterbiev. The last two, last three rounds, were won by Beterbiev."
Usyk scored the fight evenly through the first ten rounds but felt Beterbiev's performance in the championship rounds sealed the deal.
Beterbiev and Usyk have history in the amateur ranks, with Beterbiev coming out on top in their previous encounter. There's a chance they could meet again in the pro ranks if Beterbiev moves up and Usyk moves down to cruiserweight.
For now, Usyk has other business to attend to. He's gearing up for a rematch with Tyson Fury. Usyk claimed the undisputed heavyweight crown by defeating Fury in May, and they're set to run it back.
As for Beterbiev and Bivol, they're not done with each other yet. The rematch is scheduled for February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where they'll once again battle for light heavyweight supremacy.
