Dmitry Bivol claims undisputed light heavyweight champion crown by getting revenge over Russian compatriot Artur Beterbiev

Dmitry Bivol claimed the undisputed light heavyweight world champion crown as he got revenge over Artur Beterbiev in a thrilling fight in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Dmitry Bivol claimed the undisputed light heavyweight world champion crown as he got revenge over Artur Beterbiev in a thrilling fight in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Bivol suffered his first career loss at the hands of defending champion Beterbiev in a stunning result four months ago and quickly called for a rematch. And in their rematch in Riyadh, it was a tight affair with Bivol eventually winning via a judge’s decision with two judges scoring the fight 116-112 and 115-113 in his favor, while the third judge had a 114-114 draw. “(The difference) was just me,” a smiling Bivol said in the ring afterwards holding all four title belts, per AP. “I was better. I was pushing myself more. I was more confident. I was lighter, and I just wanted to win so much today.” The two Russians looked equally matched during the opening rounds of their second fight on Saturday but the younger Bivol ramped up the intensity in the middle rounds as he showed why he’s near the top of the world pound-for-pound rankings. The 34-year-old displayed his power to deliver blows to Beterbiev while still being able to evade his opponent’s counter attempts.