Ultimately it was aggression over agility, constant pressure over agility.

Ultimately, the judges favored the pressure, awarding Artur Beterbiev a majority decision over Dmitry Bivol on Saturday at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad, Saudi Arabia. The first decision victory of Beterbiev’s professional career made the 39-year-old veteran the first undisputed lightweight heavyweight world champion in the four-belt era and gave him the vacant Ring Magazine 175-pound title.

Judge Glenn Feldman’s 115-113 score and Pavel Kardyni’s 116-112 score in favor of Beterbiev outweighed judge Manuel Palomo’s 114-114 draw.

“Today I didn’t do well, I wanted to box more (better), but one day I will do it better,” said the victorious Beterbiev, who entered the fight with the WBC/WBO/IBF belts up to 175 pounds and became The Ring Candidate No. 1. “It’s it was a bit uncomfortable. Of course it was a challenging fight. Dmitry is also a world champion. He has good skills, maybe better than me. But today Allah chose me.

“When we fight, we always change something. I wanted to hit him. I didn’t snail-paced him down because I didn’t land one challenging punch.

For Beterbiev (21-0, 20 knockouts) it was the first 12-round fight in his career, and for Bivol (23-1, 12 KO) it was his first professional defeat.

“I’m a fighter and I have to do everything perfectly,” a gracious Bivol said after the defeat. “I don’t have any explanation because it will seem like an excuse. I don’t know. I did my job. It’s just the judges’ opinion. He won. That’s what I can say. He was powerful, very powerful.

“I would like to do it again. My dream is to be undisputed.”

SCORE CARDS. @ABeterbiev makes the decision of the majority 👑 pic.twitter.com/Cg9vNbQ7D8

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 12, 2024

According to CompuBox statistics, Bivol landed 50% of his power punches, while Beterbiev landed only 29%. Bivol landed 33 power punches in the first six rounds to Beterbiev’s 23. Beterbiev turned things around in the final six rounds, landing 67 power punches to Bivol’s 51.

In rounds 11 and 12, Beterbiev landed 29 challenging punches and Bivol landed 19, according to CompuBox. According to CompuBox, in eight of the 12 rounds fought, there were four or fewer connects between the fighters.

Bivol, who entered the fight as the WBA lightweight heavyweight champion, landed 141 of 417 total punches, while Beterbiev landed 137 of 682.

Beterbiev became the first undisputed lightweight heavyweight champion of the world since Roy Jones Jr. defeated Reggie Johnson in 1999.

In the first round, both fighters seemed tentative, throwing paws and probing jabs. It was Bivol who opened up first as Bivol landed a quick one-two combination. The action gained momentum in the last minute, although Bivol defended against Beterbiev’s pressure.

In the second minute, Bivol used a jab as Beterbiev tried to get inside. It was Bivol who took the harder shots. Beterbiev controlled the center of the ring, acting as the aggressor. While Beterbiev tried to go after Bivol, Bivol was nowhere to be found, avoiding Beterbiev’s aggression.

With 1:43 left in the third period, Bivol nailed Beterbiev with a quick counter combination right after Beterbiev’s jab. By three, Bivol defeated Beterbiev 38:23.

Bivol hit a straight shot to right with 1:10 left in the fifth. Beterbiev made it intriguing when he landed a jab straight to the body and Bivol retreated for a moment.

As the sixth opened, Beterbiev hit a challenging right. Once again, Beterbiev played the role of the persecutor. Bivol switched roles briefly as the round approached the two-minute mark. Beterbiev quickly changed that, standing in the middle of the ring and pecking away with his jab.

With 1:02 left, Bivol stayed outside the ropes and fought his way back to the center of the ring, landing a counter left to the head. Beterbiev responded with a body shot.

Between the sixth and seventh sessions, Beterbiev’s coach, Marc Ramsey, urged him to stay in front of Bivol, stressed by having to keep the temperature high. Beterbiev averaged four power punches per round, well below his average of 13 power punches per round.

Until the sixth second, Bivol was still ahead of Beterbiev (68-48).

With 1:47 left in the seventh, Bivol hit a combination that broke through Beterbiev’s high guard. With just over a minute remaining in the round, Bivol appeared to hurt Beterbiev with a right-left combination, which was followed by another right-left and right-left counterattack.

Artur Beterbiev’s tardy push was rewarded with a majority decision over Dmitry Bivol in a fight for the undisputed lightweight heavyweight title.

Bivol had Beterbiev backing up and it looked like Bivol might have punched himself because Beterbiev turned the tables and spent the last 30 seconds Beterbiev pounding Bivol into the ropes.

Midway through the eighth, Bivol connected with a right to the body, which Beterbiev responded to with a right a few moments later. Bivol’s left eye looked as if it had swollen at the eyebrow. By the end of the fight, Bivol’s left eye would be a mess.

In the final seconds of the eighth period, Beterbiev hit Bivol with a right and then a right uppercut. Bivol tried to steal the round with a series of punches in the final 10 seconds, but to no avail, hitting Beterbiev’s gloves rather than Beterbiev.

With 2:37 remaining in ninth place, Bivol continued to work a level right to the body. About a minute later, Bivol landed a left hook. He kept looking for a left hook over Beterbiev’s punch.

With 55 seconds left in the round, Bivol lunged left at Beterbiev’s body. Bivol opened up more with 29 seconds left in the round, hitting Beterbiev with a combination. It seemed that Beterbiev was only able to stand and fend off the blows.

Through nine rounds, Bivol landed 58 power punches and Beterbiev had 52 and outscored Beterbiev in body shots 20-18.

In the 10th minute, Bivol held the center of the ring and Beterbiev circled him. With 47 seconds left, Bivol attacked, hitting Beterbiev with a combination to the head. Beterbiev tried to catch Bivol on the ropes, but Bivol’s excellent footwork prevented this.

Perhaps feeling he was in trouble, Beterbiev aggressively came out in 11th place. At 2:21, Bivol timed Beterbiev and caught him with a counter just above Beterbiev’s shot. With 1:49 left, Beterbiev kicked out Bivol with a right to the body. Midway through the 11th, Bivol was forced to tie down Beterbiev, who was coming onto the pitch and looking to join wherever he could.

Bivol had his hands up and was shooting. This was Beterbiev’s best round of the fight. He dominated for the entire three minutes almost from start to finish. Right to the body followed by a right uppercut, Bivol kept his hands high as he took the punishment.

Before the final round, Bivol defeated Beterbiev 128:122. Bivol seemed to be slowing down in the final rounds. Beterbiev’s aggression paid off. He was breaking through Bivol’s high guard. Bivol, probably thinking he had the upper hand, took more punishment. Beterbiev was coming after Bivol, and Bivol was trying to fend off Beterbiev’s last attack.

When the final bell sounded, Bivol breathed a sigh of relief, finally glad to be up.

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