Artur Beterbiev is dealing with the aftermath of defeat for the first time in his illustrious boxing career.
The highly-anticipated light heavyweight rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol didn’t disappoint this weekend in Riyadh. But after winning his first 21 professional fights, Beterbiev is dealing with the grieving process of defeat for the first time.
Beterbiev and Bivol treated fans to another back-and-forth battle in their immediate light heavyweight runback this weekend in Riyadh. After a quick start from Beterbiev over the first few rounds, Bivol rallied and found a rhythm as the fight went on, outpacing Beterbiev in the championship rounds.
After 12 rounds of action, Bivol defeated Beterbiev by majority decision to earn Beterbiev’s light heavyweight titles. This was a stunning setback for Beterbiev, who had won their first fight by majority decision in October.
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Artur Beterbiev breaks social media silence after suffering first career loss
In a recent Instagram post, Beterbiev addressed his following for the first time since suffering his first career loss.
“That was a good fight against a worthy opponent,” Beterbiev posted. “I thank everyone who has supported me along the way. But sport is sport. We will definitely come back even stronger.
“The Almighty’s plans are always better than ours. Alhamdulillah for everything.”
Beterbiev and Bivol exchanged pleasantries in the ring following their rematch. A trilogy bout is the most logical option for both fighters unless Bivol gets swayed toward a potential clash with David Benavidez or another top name.
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Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol trilogy is one of 2025’s blockbuster bookings
Following the razor-thin margin in the Beterbiev vs. Bivol rematch, fans quickly clamored for a trilogy booking between the two stars. Both fighters seem interested in completing their rivalry before moving on to new challenges.
Turki Alalshikh seems equally intrigued at making the trilogy bout happen after Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2.
Beterbiev defeated the likes of Callum Smith, Joe Smith Jr., and Anthony Yarde during his career leading up to the Bivol brawls. Meanwhile, Bivol defeated top names like Canelo Alvarez and Gilberto Ramirez before facing Beterbiev twice.
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