Dmitry Bivol beat Arthur Beterbiev in a decision on split points to ask for a world title in Saudi Arabia.
The Russian Dmitry buffalo has avenged the previous defeat to take the undisputed world title from Arthur Beterbieva Decision of most points in epic remains in Saudi Arabia.
The judges scored a fight on Sunday in Riyadh 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113.
The previous match last October, when they both went to their feet as undefeated champions, ended with exactly the same result, but to Canadian Beterbie’s born in Russian, who added the WBA belt to his WBC, WBO and IBF.
This time, Bivol, 34, was better at night, moving with the equipment and struggling with his bearded older opponent, who is now 40, with determination and classic combinations.
The outcome 1-1 opens the way to the inevitable third conflict between the two.
“In fact, I didn’t want another fight, it wasn’t my choice, but no problem. We’ll make a third fight,” said Beterbiev, who did not squeeze Bivol’s hand, he said in Ring after the results were announced.
Bivol said he was ready for any challenge, but that he needed a vacation after his efforts.
“I want to cure myself a little and come back,” said Russian, who ended the fight with blood flowing from the top of the left eye.
“I didn’t have as much pressure as last time. I just wanted to work from the first round by the end of the 12th year. I did enough and won this.
“I was better, I was pushing more, I was more confident, I was easier and today I just wanted to win.”
Bivol had better than his opponent in the first three rounds, but the champion found his rhythm in a fourth in a more vibrant fight than the first, but still with little that he split the two.
At the last bell, no boxer could be sure of the outcome, and they both wait for the results to be read without celebration in advance.
“I don’t want to talk about the decision – it’s hard. Congratulations to the buffalo team,” Beterbiev said, who could ask for the last round.
“I thought that fight was better than the first fight, but we’ll see. Now it’s my time to get back.”
Earlier, the triple world champion Shakur Stevenson retained his WBC light title after stopping Stand-in-in-in Josh Padley, a British electrician who had three days to prepare for that fight, at the end of nine rounds.
The former WBO Joseph Parker heavyweight champion stopped another late replacement Martin Bakola in two rounds in their temporary fight WBO.
