In the aftermath of their thrilling showdown for the undisputed light-heavyweight championship, both Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol have expressed their openness to a rematch, following what many are already calling an epic encounter.
The fight, which took place at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia, saw Beterbiev emerge victorious via majority decision, unifying the division and solidifying his status as the undisputed light-heavyweight champion.
However, the bout was fiercely competitive, with both fighters having their moments, leaving fans and pundits clamoring for a second meeting.
Beterbiev, known for his fearsome knockout power, edged out the decision on the scorecards, but the victory didn’t come easy. Bivol’s speed, movement, and counterpunching tested Beterbiev in ways few had before, as he absorbed punishment while pressing forward with his trademark relentless pressure.
After twelve grueling rounds, the judges’ scorecards awarded Beterbiev the victory, though some observers believed Bivol had done enough to win. The final scorecards read: 115-113 and 116-112 to Beterbiev while the other called it tied at 114-114.
Both Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol have expressed their openness to a rematch, following what many are already calling an epic encounter
The fight saw Beterbiev emerge victorious via majority decision, unifying the division and solidifying his status as the undisputed light-heavyweight champion
Eddie Hearn felt Bivol (pictured above) was ‘robbed’ of a decision on Saturday night
In his post-fight interview, Beterbiev acknowledged the difficulty of the contest and welcomed the idea of facing Bivol again.
‘I feel not bad. I did not good today. I wanted to box today with more quality, you know. I don’t know why, but I didn’t like this fight. But I’ll be better one day.’
‘Of course it’s a tough fight because Dmitry is a world champion too. He has good skills, maybe better than me. But today, Allah chose me.’
‘You know, during the fight, we always try to change something. But, you know, maybe I just wanted to punch him. Maybe that’s why I’m not delivering more punches. I don’t know. If His Excellency wants it {a rematch}, then we can do it.’
Bivol, visibly disappointed but gracious in defeat, echoed similar sentiments, expressing his desire for a rematch.
‘I don’t have any explanations because it could look like excuses. I just say congratulations to Artur and his team, he deserves it. No problem. I did my job, I always feel I could be better, it’s just the opinions of judges. Congratulations Artur.
‘Yes, of course he’s powerful, very powerful. And you see I have bruise from my hand. He always [landed on my hand] and it was so hard that he reached my eye.’
Eddie Hearn has already hinted he would be open for a rematch considering he thinks Bivol was ‘robbed’ of a result. He was annoyed about the fact he thought Beterbiev’s team were told the result before it was officially announced.
Eddie Hearn has already hinted that he’s eager for a rematch, believing Bivol was ‘robbed’ of the victory. He also expressed frustration over the suspicion that Beterbiev’s team was informed of the result before the official announcement, adding to his discontent with the outcome.
Eddie Hearn has already hinted that he’s eager for a rematch, believing Bivol was ‘robbed’ of the victory. He also expressed frustration over the suspicion that Beterbiev’s team was informed of the result before the official announcement
‘How can we not talk about what just happened in the ring. We want to just forget about it. In one of the biggest fights in our generation, the biggest fight in Bivol’s life, you give him four rounds. It’s absolutely disgusting.
‘The whole corner knew he lost the fight. In the tenth round the corner said to him, you have to knock him out to win this fight. They got in the ring, stood backed up in the corner, they knew Beterbiev had lost. Top Rank knew he had lost.
‘Then suddenly word got around that Beterbiev has got a majority decision. I am baffled and I am disgusted.’
Given the magnitude of the bout and the hunger for a decisive conclusion to their rivalry, a second fight could become one of the most anticipated events in boxing for 2025.
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