Artur Beterbiev is still considered to be one of the greatest pound-for-pound athletes in modern-day boxing.
Despite Beterbiev losing out in his rematch to Dmitry Bivol, the former undisputed world champion is still one of the 21st century’s greatest talents.
A brutal knockout artist, Beterbiev has been able to stop every opponent that has stepped in front of him except for Bivol. This has resulted in the Russian-Canadian having a professional record of 21-1, with 20 knockouts.
However, one knockout may be specifically memorable, as it saw Beterbiev become a world champion for the first time.
Artur Beterbiev became a world champion in 2017 for the first time
Beterbiev went into 2017 with a professional record of 11-0, despite being 32 years old. However, the established amateur showed his elite talent through the opening three years of his career to get a world title opportunity.
In November of 2017, Beterbiev would get his first world title opportunity, taking on Enrico Koelling (23-1) from Germany. The two would compete for the vacant IBF World Light Heavyweight after Andre Warde’s retirement meant there was no champion.
Despite the German having the professional experience edge over Beterbiev, it would be a washout performance from the Russian-Canadian.
Winning all 11 of the completed rounds, Beterbiev would cap off his performance in the final round.
Koelling had taken significant damage from Beterbiev throughout the fight and was not able to survive to the final bell. Following a barrage of punches against the ropes, Koelling would sink down to the canvas, counting as a knockdown.
In the final 30 seconds of the bout, Beterbiev would send his German opponent to the ground again, spelling the end of the bout.
Artur Beterbiev became undisputed world champion in 2024
Seven years after becoming a light heavyweight champion, Beterbiev would be able to unify the division in his win over Bivol.
Meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Beterbiev was able to earn a majority decision win over his rival in their first meeting.
The win would make Beterbiev one of the few undisputed world champions in the four-belt era, as the two had one of the greatest boxing matches of the 21st century. However, Beterbiev would fall short in the rematch, losing his titles.
It is currently unclear as to whether the pair will cap their excellent fight series off with a trilogy bout, as contenders such as David Benavidez and Callum Smith will campaign for an opportunity at Bivol.