On February 23rd, Kyrgyz technician Dmitry Bivol secured his redemption as he outpointed now former undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to become the newly minted king. The two clashed for the first time back in October, and the Russian-Canadian came out on top, claiming a highly contentious majority decision victory in one of the best fights in recent memory.
Dmitry Bivol Gets the Job Done Second Time Around
Following that, fans clamored for a rematch, with Bivol’s promoter Eddie Hearn crying robbery. They got their wish, and the two battled again, and this time around, Dmitry Bivol got the job done… just. Heading into the contest, the bookies made Beterbiev the narrow favorite to repeat his finest hour. Online crypto sports betting had him priced at 1.80, with the challenger a narrow 2.00 underdog. A lot of people were keeping an eye on the sports betting odds in anticipation of the match – and they won’t have regretted their interest.
On fight night, the 34-year-old outsider perhaps shaded the first two rounds, before Beterbiev’s pressure punching took over, backing Dmitry Bivol up against the ropes and bullying him around the ring but without inflicting too much damage. That pattern continued until round six, when the champion began to slow down, unable to keep the relentless pace he had set throughout the first half of the fight, and the challenger then took over.
With Beterbiev continuing to come forward but with less volume punching, Bivol began to pick off his 40-year-old opponent, peppering him with four and five-punch combinations and catching the eye of the judges. His best work came in the 11th round, landing clean numerous times and seemingly taking the bout away from the champion. Beterbiev comfortably won the last round, which could have been enough to perhaps scrape a draw, depending on how one scored the opening two mightily close rounds.
Ultimately, however, this time around, the judges gave Bivol the nod, with scores of 114-114, and 116-112 securing him a majority decision victory of his own. Speaking after the fight he said: “I’m just so happy. I was better, I was pushing myself more. I was more confident, I was lighter. I just wanted to win so much today.”
Now as the new undisputed light heavyweight champion, attention immediately turns to what’s next. So, who are the contenders to challenge Dmitry Bivol in his first title defense?
Beterbiev Trilogy
The obvious answer would be a trilogy fight against Beterbiev. The two have now fought for 24 rounds in two different fights, and there has been very little to separate them. Both fights could have gone either way and with the current score tied up at one win apiece, many may think that it’s only fair that the former champion gets his rematch, much like he gave Bivol after their first fight.
A third contest between the two will surely continue with a similar theme. The two have proven to be very evenly matched, with Beterbiev’s controlled aggression and Bivol’s counter-punching making for contests that you can’t take your eyes off. A third fight will be similarly must-watch, but with the Russian-Canadian now 40 years of age, there’s a good chance he won’t be able to keep the sustained pressure for 12 full rounds, which may well be needed if he is to rip the title away from the new champ.
David Benavidez
Mexican-American David Benavidez is perhaps the most avoided fighter in boxing at present. He gunned for a money-spinning clash against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, even getting himself into a mandatory challenger position, as well as winning the interim WBC title. He picked up resounding victories against the likes of Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade, but undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo wouldn’t budge, outright refusing to fight The Monster unless someone stumped up and paid him a lot of money.
Benavidez eventually gave up his chase of the ginger-haired pay-per-view star last June after over two years of pursuit. Instead, he moved up to the light heavyweight division, outpointing former champions Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell in his first two fights at 178 pounds. That has earned him the interim WBC title once again, and now it seems that Bivol is in his sights.
A potential clash between the two would be a money-spinner and also perhaps legacy-defining for both men. For Bivol, he will have proven himself to be the undisputed light heavyweight king and arguably one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. For Benavidez, if he was able to secure a victory over the only man who has beaten Canelo in the last decade, then it would surely mean that Alvarez could avoid him no more.
A Move Up To Cruiserweight
Speaking following his victory against Beterbiev, Bivol hinted that he could well be done at light heavyweight and that his legacy is already secured. That would indicate that he is set to move up to cruiserweight in a bid to become a two-division champion. Gilberto Ramirez (WBA & WBO), Jai Opetaia (IBF & The Ring), and Badou Jack (WBC) are the current champions in that division, and while victory against one of them would do wonders for Bivol’s legacy, none of them would generate the kind of cash that a Beterbiev trilogy or Benavidez defense would garner.
