Light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) and former champion Dmitry Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) will run it back tomorrow at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh Saudi Arabia.
Their first fight was ridiculously close – so close that a rematch was demanded by just about everyone.
Fight one was a showcase of technique and skill. Beterbiev pressed the fight, while Bivol used excellent footwork and hand speed to offset his fellow Russian. Beterbiev upped the ante in the later rounds – Bivol hung tough, but the judges saw Beterbiev the winner by scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 114-114.
The fight could have gone either way.
Will it be repeat or revenge?
Weigh-in results:
WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine light-heavyweight titles
Artur Beterbiev 175lbs
Dmitry Bivol 174.1lbs
Joseph Parker (267)
Martin Bakole (did not weigh in) Fight still on
WBO World Lightweight title
Shakur Stevenson 134.1lbs
Josh Padley 134lbs
WBC World Middleweight title
Carlos Adames 158.1lbs
Hamzah Sheeraz 159lbs
Vergil Ortiz Jr 153.1lbs
Israil Madrimov 152.1lbs
Zhilei Zhang 287.5lbs
Agit Kabayel 241lbs
Joshua Buatsi 175lbs
Callum Smith 174.1lbs
