Saturday night, Artur Beterbiev defeated Dmitrii Bivol by a majority draw to become the 10th Undisputed Champion in the four-belt era. The Judges scored this fight 114-114, 116-112, and 113-115. The Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, hosted this event. This was a somewhat controversial decision as Bivol landed four more punches (142 vs. 137) and 11 more jabs (58 vs. 47). Bivol landed 50 percent of his power punches as Beterbiev only connected on 29 percent of his.
Beterbiev vs. Bivol was a competitive fight that lived up to the hype. Was it as exciting as Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois or Tyson Fury vs. Usyk? No, but it was a good boxing fight. This fight was like a chess match; in the first few rounds, both fighters were still figuring each other out and didn’t want to force anything. Beterbiev is the first Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion in the four-belt era.
Even though the 116-112 scorecard is very questionable, this was not a robbery. During the first six rounds of the fight, Beterbiev got off to a slow start, landing seven or fewer power punches. But starting in the seventh round, Beterbiev connected on over 12 power shots in three rounds. Bivol landed 34 percent of his total punches, while Beterbiev was 20 percent. Beterbiev threw over 250 more punches than Bivol but needed to be more efficient.
Beterbiev was +650 to win by decision or technical decision on DraftKings Sportsbook. Also, Beterbiev closed as the +105 underdog to win this contest outright.
Now that new Undisputed boxing has been owned, what is next for Beterbeiv?
- Rematch vs. Dmitrii Bivol
This is the clear No. 1 option. Bivol deserves a rematch, and they should run this fight back in 2025. Saturday’s fight didn’t bring closure to this matchup; a second fight is needed. Bivol is six years younger than Beterbiev and still has much more time to grow and improve in his career. Although Bivol is now 20-1 after his first professional loss, he is still a top-tier fighter in the sport.
Bivol was the more efficient fighter in this contest, once again proving he is a big-time performer. However, to win the rematch, Bivol needs to be much more aggressive in the later rounds of the second fight. Beterbiev has a massive edge in power, and if Bivol doesn’t throw more punches, it will be hard for him to win.
- David Benavidez
Benavidez, 27, faces David Morrell on January 25 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Benavidez is a budding superstar awaiting a massive title. He is currently the No. 3 ranked 175-pound fighter, according to BoxRec. Morrell is No. 4 in the light heavyweight division, and this is an excellent matchup between two great contenders.
If Benavidez defeats Morrell, he will, without a doubt, be next in line for a title shot. He needs to handle business with Morrell first, but this would likely be the second option for a Beterbiev vs. Bivol rematch. Benavidez is still very young and one of the future faces of boxing.
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