This was an intense and skillful fight—one that will be debated among boxing fans for some time. While I respect Artur Beterbiev for achieving undisputed champion status, I believe Dmitry Bivol was the true winner here.

From the beginning, Bivol established a sharp jab and used his footwork to avoid Beterbiev's big shots. He managed the distance well, often countering Beterbiev’s attacks with quick combinations to keep his opponent off balance. In my opinion, Bivol took the first five rounds with his cleaner, more technical boxing.

However, Beterbiev’s pressure was relentless. Anytime Bivol wasn't throwing punches, Beterbiev stepped in with compact, powerful shots. While many of these punches didn’t land cleanly, you could feel their force, and Bivol was clearly feeling the pressure. The sound of Beterbiev’s punches echoed through the arena, and he visibly pushed Bivol back throughout rounds 6, 7, and 8, which I scored for Beterbiev.

Going into the later rounds, Bivol regained momentum. I felt he took rounds 9 and 10, once again slipping Beterbiev’s jab and countering effectively. But in the championship rounds, Beterbiev’s pressure and volume of punches gave him the edge in rounds 11 and 12. His strategy of pouring on the offense in the final moments of each round likely influenced the judges.

Ultimately, the judges gave the fight to Beterbiev, and while I can understand why, the scoring felt controversial. Much of Beterbiev’s offense was blocked or didn’t land clean, while Bivol’s counters often found their mark. It felt like a fight that could’ve gone either way—a draw or a narrow win for Bivol wouldn’t have been unreasonable.

In the end, it was an intriguing and tactical battle between two elite fighters. Boxing fans deserve a rematch to settle this rivalry once and for all.

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