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Unified Champ! Beterbiev Defeats Bivol in Razor-Thin War of Attrition

As close as it gets! Artur Beterbiev defeats Dmitrii Bivol in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mathew Riddle|
DAZN

Dmitrii Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev was as close as it gets. The two light heavyweight greats duked it out over 12 rounds in Saudi Arabia on October 12, with Beterbiev coming away with a razor-thin majority decision.

The victory marks Beterbiev's first win by decision in 21 fights, which is testament to Bivol's flawless defense and elite footwork. The Russian brawler forfeited the first few rounds to Bivol and picked up the pace in the middle and later rounds to compensate. Bivol found the mark with many power shots, but Beterbiev's endurance held up; his power was concussive and his pressure smothering.

Beterbiev's victory was by a close margin, with one judge scoring the bout a draw. A rematch would be in order, and Beterbiev declared that he'd leave it up to Turki Alalshikh to organize. The undisputed title could be up for grabs in an eventual rematch.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with half a decade of digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on Bloody Elbow, The Fight Fanatic, and Heavy on UFC. He runs Warrior Tribune and can be contacted by his Muckrack profile.

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