Dmitry Bivol takes brilliant revenge win over Artur Beterbiev in undisputed world championship fight

Dmitry Bivol took a revenge win to defeat Artur Beterbiev and become the new undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the world.

The great rivals engaged each other in a second world championship clash of the highest quality.

Bivol finished with a majority decision win, 114-114 on one card, but 115-113 and 116-112 in his favour on the other two, unifying the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF 175lb titles, all four of the major belts.

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He had lost for the first time in his career when he boxed Beterbiev in October. Then he had become the first professional fighter to take Beterbiev the distance. Beterbiev had beaten him on a close, majority decision in that first contest, a result which had divided opinion.

It left them both fighting to decide ultimate supremacy at 175lbs once again.

If Beterbiev was stung by criticism that he'd left it too late first time, and left the result in doubt, he came out looking to answer all those questions.

The sense of anticipation for an elite world title clash between two of the highest-quality fighters operating today was palpable as they sounded one another out with jabs and swift counters in the first round.

Beterbiev used quick feet to start closing in on Bivol more rapidly than he did in their first fight. He swiped the challenger back with a left hook. But Bivol timed a fine, countering right that landed neatly.

He held his ground in the second round, bursting forward with a sudden attack. But Beterbiev wasn't dissuaded and his remorseless forward march continued in the third round.

His hard strikes meant Bivol had to move. He shifted away to his right then his left. Bouncing off the ropes to get on the front foot, Bivol fired off a combination.

But Beterbiev charged on. A thudding right hook hit Bivol hard and the two opened up with both hands. Beterbiev wanted him to trade and he hammered shots into him to start the fourth round too.

Rather than Bivol's movement choosing where the fight was fought, Beterbiev was backing him up. Slashing counters from Bivol couldn't put off the champion and he had to duck a big Beterbiev right hook.

Beterbiev chased him down in the fifth round. He went down to the body with hard, hurtful punches landing round the midriff. Then he directed the assault to the head as Bivol pedalled back.

But a stinging salvo of punching from Bivol broke through Beterbiev's guard. He saw Beterbiev out of position and his cross snapped in, just as Beterbiev jabbed him back.

He had to be wary of a sudden Bivol left, but Beterbiev hunted for further openings.

Bivol however steadied himself in the seventh round. He landed his right early in the eighth round as well. Heartened, he pressed the champion with further combinations. He smacked Beterbiev with a flush cross and then slammed his right hook into him too.

Beterbiev looked to smack his cross through Bivol's punches and the challenger moved away once more. Bivol though pocketed a brace of quick shots to the body and then caught Beterbiev once again stepping in.

Bivol ducked a right, manoeuvred round Beterbiev and landed a brilliant sequence of shots, his left hook letting the cross carve a path through.

Bivol was finding answers and paying Beterbiev back in kind.

His jabs streaked out to start the 11th round. Beterbiev slugged at his opponent's body and Bivol struck the head.

Pressing forward, Beterbiev chopped punches at Bivol's guard. He drove Bivol towards the ropes, but Bivol's cross scorched into the target once more.

He stood with Beterbiev in the closing stages of the 11th, and they tore into one another.

Beterbiev jogged out to the centre of the ring for the last round. He harried Bivol, who had to give ground.

They traded severe right-hand hits. As they exchanged, an explosive right from Beterbiev caught Bivol over the eye. It opened a bad cut, just before the end of the fight. At the final bell Beterbiev nodded and embraced his rival. He knew it had been a close fight.

The majority decision, and an outstanding revenge win, went Bivol's way.

"I did enough," Bivol said afterwards. "I was better, I was pushing myself more, I was more confident, I was lighter, I just wanted to win so much today.

"I just told myself he could start from the beginning to destroy me and disturb me, it was hard to keep him distanced over the first four rounds. I was tired but he was tired also. I had to punch more."

The rivalry remains strong. After the decision was announced neither man shook hands.

"I congratulate Bivol and his team," Beterbiev said.

"Actually I didn't want the second fight, it wasn't my choice. But we'll do the third fight."

Two repeat showings (full duration) will be shown at 8am and 5.30pm on Sunday February 23. Book the Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 repeats on Sky Box Office.

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Dmitry Bivol takes brilliant revenge win over Artur Beterbiev in undisputed world championship fight