Artur Beterbiev v Dimitry Bivol
- Weight:
- 175 (Light Heavyweight)
- Notable belts:
- WBA, WBO, IBF, WBC and Ring Magazine
- Date:
- Venue:
- The Kingdom Arena in Riyadh
Prediction: Artur Beterbiev by Stoppage
Result: Artur Beterbiev by Points
An incredibly high quality chess match with both guys being great however Bivol was on another level here. I’ve always thought of him as one of the best defensive fighters in boxing but in this fight he was a different level. Perhaps the greatest defensive performances I’ve ever seen and he never once looked badly hurt by the biggest puncher in the division’s history because of it. He boxed incredibly well and while Beterbiev obviously had a good deal of success, I thought Bivol was a clear winner in an exceptional fight. It’s a shame that once again not only does the right man (who most people thought should’ve won) not win, he’s not even given a single card in a fight he should have won. I wouldn’t call it an out and out robbery and I can see how you could score it to Beterbiev but I don’t agree with it. Judges just can’t see well enough or just want to give credit for blocked shots because how you get to 8-4 Beterbiev I’ll never know. Brilliant fight that I’m so glad we got to see but come on man 🤦♂️
Scorecard
| Artur Beterbiev | Dimitry Bivol | |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | 9 | 10 |
| R2 | 9 | 10 |
| R3 | 9 | 10 |
| R4 | 10 | 9 |
| R5 | 9 | 10 |
| R6 | 9 | 10 |
| R7 | 9 | 10 |
| R8 | 9 | 10 |
| R9 | 9 | 10 |
| R10 | 10 | 9 |
| R11 | 10 | 9 |
| R12 | 10 | 9 |
| Total | 112 | 116 |