by Oscar Cabrera, Boxing Contributor
Artur Beterbiev claimed a controversial majority decision victory over Dmitry Bivol to become the undisputed light-heavyweight champion, unifying the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles. In a thrilling back-and-forth battle, Beterbiev’s relentless pressure and power shots earned him the nod from the judges with scores of 115-113, 114-114, and 116-112.
Bivol, known for his defense and sharp counters, controlled much of the fight, but Beterbiev’s aggression seemed to win over the judges in the later rounds.
Despite Bivol’s clear success in several rounds, especially in the final stretch, Beterbiev’s relentless forward movement and power shots played a big role in securing the decision. The fight was extremely close, leaving fans and pundits calling for an immediate rematch to settle the score between these two elite fighters.