Bivol beats Beterbiev in rematch to claim undisputed title
Dmitry Bivol is the undisputed light heavyweight champion after getting revenge in his highly anticipated rematch with Artur Beterbiev.
Bivol defeated Beterbiev via majority decision to capture the undisputed 175-pound title Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Two judges scored the fight in Bivol's favor - 116-112 and 115-113, respectively - while the third had it a 114-114 draw.
With the victory, Bivol avenged a majority decision loss to Beterbiev last October, in which Beterbiev became the first undisputed 175-pound champion since Roy Jones Jr. in 2000.
"I was better," Bivol said of how the rematch compared to the first fight. "I was pushing myself more. I was confident. I just wanted to win so much today."
Bivol handed Beterbiev his first career defeat, with the Russian-Canadian falling to 21-1. Bivol, who suffered his first loss in the first fight with Beterbiev, lifted his professional record to 24-1.
Beterbiev said he wants to complete the trilogy with Bivol.
"Now it's my time to come back," Beterbiev said. "We are gonna do third fight."
The rematch was another competitive, back-and-forth battle with multiple momentum shifts. Bivol outworked Beterbiev over 12 rounds, topping him 170-121 in total punches and 85-78 in power shots. Bivol landed more punches than Beterbiev in nine of 12 rounds.
Bivol had a strong start to the fight, countering an aggressive Beterbiev from the outside. Bivol used good footwork to avoid trouble, and his elite jab was on display.
The tide turned in Beterbiev's favor in the fourth round, and he was the superior boxer in the middle rounds. Beterbiev maintained constant pressure and backed Bivol up against the ropes, landing flurries of punches. Beterbiev stayed busier as Bivol's movement got worse.
But Bivol stepped on the gas in the second half of the fight and seemed back in control by the ninth round. Bivol's output was higher than earlier in the fight, and his footwork improved.
The last three rounds were close, with Bivol appearing to get the better of the exchanges. Beterbiev landed a big right hand late in the 12th round - one of his best punches of the fight - but it wasn't enough to secure the decision.
Bivol said he wants to take some time off after back-to-back fights with Beterbiev.
"I'm ready for any challenge," Bivol said. "I want a little bit of rest because I had some injuries last summer. And this time, I had some injuries. I want to heal myself and come back."
Bivol held the WBA light heavyweight title for seven years - and defended it 12 times - before dropping it in last October's defeat to Beterbiev. Now, the 34-year-old Russian again holds the WBA title in addition to the WBC, IBF, and WBO belts.
This is the first time Beterbiev hasn't held a world championship since 2017. Beterbiev captured the IBF title in 2017, the WBC belt in 2019, the WBO strap in 2022, and then the WBA championship when he defeated Bivol. The 41-year-old recorded nine consecutive title defenses.