In an exciting showdown in Riyadh, Dmitry Bivol emerged victorious against Artur Beterbiyev, winning by majority decision after 12 hard-fought rounds. This victory not only earned Bivol the win but also stripped Beterbiyev of all his titles, ending his reign as the undisputed champion in the light heavyweight division (up to 79 kg).

This clash served as a rematch for their previous encounter last October, where Beterbiyev had bested Bivol at the same venue.

Two judges scored the fight in favor of Bivol at 116-112 and 115-113, while one judge deemed the bout a draw at 114-114.

As a result of this win, Bivol now claims the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO belts, along with the Ring magazine title, securing his status as the absolute champion of this weight class.

“I got my belt back. This is a rematch for me; it was something that was eating away at me. I wanted to win, and I did. I focused on following my fight plan. We anticipated he would come out strong and apply pressure from the start, but my challenge was to stay agile, focused, and ready to counter,” Bivol expressed.

Bivol handed Beterbiyev the first defeat of his professional career.

“Artur, I hold immense respect for you. When I was younger and part of the national team, I looked up to you and admired your training – you were number one. I sincerely respect you and wish to shake your hand to thank you for this fight. This is sports; it happens, and you are a great fighter.” He continued, sharing that Beterbiyev mentioned they wouldn’t shake hands at the moment because a third fight might be on the horizon. “He conveyed that in a respectful manner, and I replied – no problem,” Bivol concluded.

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