Dmitry Bivol is eagerly awaiting another bout with current undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev after their closely fought bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last September. Even though both fighters enjoyed periods of dominance during that contest, Beterbiev eventually emerged victorious and recorded Bivol’s first professional loss.
Bivol has expressed his desire for a rematch and has hinted at discussions already occurring surrounding one. In one recent interview he mentioned such discussions taking place but stated that any decision rests solely with Beterbiev.
The first few rounds saw Bivol taking the lead, showcasing his signature combination punches, though Beterbiev began to dominate from the third round. Despite Beterbiev’s aggressive approach, which forced Bivol on the defensive multiple times, Bivol managed to regain momentum in the later rounds, particularly showing resilience against Beterbiev’s dominant eleventh round.
After the match concluded, the decision in favor of Beterbiev left many surprised, especially given one judge’s scorecard showing a significantly wider gap than expected. This has led to substantial discussions within the boxing community about the fairness of the decision.
Eddie Hearn Calls for Judge’s Dismissal After Controversial Decision
Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing expressed shock over the results, hailing Bivol as worthy of undisputed champion status and criticizing one judge’s scorecard as being unbalanced and advocating strongly for a rematch as being key for both fighters’ careers going forward. Hearn has advocated strongly for such an encounter to take place once and for all and sees it as critical as an avenue forward to move their careers further along.
After their controversial encounter in November 2017, both camps, fans, and fighters alike are eagerly awaiting another showdown between these two boxing titans. Beterbiev recently expressed interest in this idea – setting the stage for what may become another classic clash between two of its finest. Now everyone in boxing awaits to see whether this eagerly anticipated rematch materializes.