Dmitry Bivol reclaims the undisputed light heavyweight title

Dmitry Bivol reclaims the undisputed light heavyweight title

Dmitry Bivol secured the undisputed light heavyweight world championship crown in a thrilling fight in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Bivol got revenge on Artur Beterbiev for his first career defeat, which he suffered four months ago. Reigning champion Beterbiev had won in a surprising fight, but Bivol quickly demanded a rematch.

Exciting rematch in Riyadh

In the rematch in Riyadh the fight was hard fought, with Bivol ultimately emerging victorious via a judges' decision. Two judges scored the fight 116-112 and 115-113 in favor of Bivol, while the third judge scored the fight 114-114.

Bivol's secret of success

“The difference was just me,” said a smiling Bivol in the ring while holding all four title belts. "I was better. I tried harder. I was more confident, lighter and I just wanted to win so bad."

Intensity in the middle rounds

The two Russians appeared to be evenly matched in the early rounds of the fight, but Bivol picked up the pace in the middle rounds and showed why he is at the top of the world's best pound-for-pound rankings. The 34-year-old demonstrated his punching power, allowing Beterbiev to strike multiple times while deftly dodging his opponent's counterattack.

A comeback that came too late

Beterbiev, 40, landed a powerful punch in the 12th and final round that opened a wound above Bivol's left eye. But it came too late as Bivol dictated the fight to the end and inflicted the first defeat on his compatriot in his career.

Bivol about his performance

“I’m just so happy,” Bivol explained. "I went through a lot last year. To be honest, I lost the first fight and maybe felt a little lighter. I didn't put too much pressure on myself this time like I did before the last fight. I just wanted to fight through from the first round to the 12th round. I hoped I did enough and won."

Expectations for a third fight

After Bivol burst into the public eye in 2022 with a surprise victory over Canelo Álvarez, his loss to Beterbiev last year - which made Beterbiev the first undisputed light heavyweight world champion in the four-belt era - was a surprise to most and set the stage for a highly anticipated rematch.

Beterbiev comments on the rematch

Saturday's rematch did not disappoint, both fighters showed a high level of boxing throughout the fight and there will likely be a third fight between the two. After the fight, Beterbiev admitted he wasn't keen on the idea of ​​fighting Bivol a second time, but is now relishing the opportunity to avenge his first defeat. “I think this fight was better than the first,” Beterbiev said. "Now it's my time to come back. ... I actually didn't want the second fight. It wasn't my choice. But no problem. We'll do a third fight if necessary."

Parker wins the WBO interim title

On Saturday in Riyadh, New Zealand's Joseph Parker produced a dominant performance, stopping Martin Bakole in the second round to win the WBO interim heavyweight title. This could pave the way for a unification fight with Oleksandr Usyk. Parker's victory over Bakole - who stepped in two days before the fight after Daniel Dubois had to withdraw due to illness - was an impressive performance as Usyk watched from ringside.