They say if you come for the King, you better not miss.
Dmitry Bivol fought as well as he ever has, but he fell agonisingly short in his bid to claim light-heavyweight domination against “King” Artur Beterbiev.
Beterbiev won an excellent fight by scores of 116-112 (Pawel Kardyni), 115-113 (Glenn Feldman) and 114-114 (Manuel Oliver Palomo).
There was not much in it, but the two best 175-pounders of this generation produced an engrossing fight of skill, courage and technical proficiency.
To top off the spectacle, the new undisputed champion Beterbiev felt he could have done better, but Bivol congratulated him on a fine performance. Neither complained about the scores or each other.
Asked how he was feeling afterwards, “Not bad,” responded Beterbiev.
“I did not good today,” he continued. “I didn’t like this fight, but I’ll be better one day. It was not tough, it was a little bit uncomfortable.”
Bivol, who finished with swelling around his left eye, said he still has the dream of becoming the undisputed champion, and simply added: “Congratulations to Artur and his team, he deserves it.”
Did he think he won?
“I don’t know,” he replied. “I did my job. I thought I could make better. I could always make better. He won. What could I say?”
Bivol is now 23-1 (12 KOs), and the 33-year-old, whol was born in Tokmak, Kyrgyzstan but fights out of Indio, California, will surely come again.
Beterbiev, who astonishingly went the distance for the first time in 21 professional fights having scored 20 stoppages previously, added Bivol’s WBA belt to his WBC, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine titles.
Both tried to gain control in the opening round behind their left hands and Beterbiev’s nose started to redden after Bivol stepped in behind a one-two.
It was steady work but in the dying embers of the round they both let their hands go. Beterbiev, who turns 40 early in 2025, moved Bivol to the ropes but Bivol fired back quickly as the Top Rank-promoted Beterbiev advanced.
Bivol’s left hand was smooth, he hooked and jabbed and hooked off the jab in the second.
He was throwing with intent. Every punch was designed to earn Beterbiev’s respect.
Beterbiev menacingly paced forwards. He chewed on some crisp jabs that were sunk into his stoic face, but he moved ahead briskly, making Bivol work hard with his legs, his engine and his head.
Bivol almost always stayed within punching distance, so Bivol could not switch off for a second.
Halfway through the third Bivol was able to thread a succession of jabs and right hands through Beterbiev’s tight guard.
Often Beterbiev’s head was being flicked back from Bivol’s faster and more accurate shots, but – as is his custom – Beterbiev simply marched toward him.
In the fourth, Beterbiev appeared to have slowed Bivol down somewhat, and he lashed in a right hand.
It was, as expected, high class and absorbing. It was Bivol’s fluidity against Beterbiev’s unflinching pressure.
Bivol still looked sharp but his output appeared to be dropping. He launched forwards and speared Beterbiev with a right but it didn’t dent him, and in the final minute of the fifth there were signs Beterbiev could be wresting control, depositing a thick and heavy right hand into Bivol’s midriff.
Still, for all of Beterbiev’s pressure, Bivol’s high hands and movement meant he was only sparingly caught by anything meaningful. For a spell in the sixth, Bivol then held his feet and fought back.
Soon, however, Beterbiev was again on the front foot.
Bivol crashed a right hand into Beterbiev’s cheek to open round seven. Beterbiev nodded, and stepped towards Bivol once more.
Beterbiev – his back to the ropes – stung Bivol midway through the seventh and then proceeded to clump him this way and that as Bivol endured his first serious danger.
Both took a look at one another to start the eighth. Neither neglected the body. In fact, both landed lead rights downstairs, but the round was comparatively quiet and yet still fascinating, and they both let their fists fly to try to impress the judges with seconds remaining.
Bivol started round nine quickly. He popped Beterbiev with a lead left hook and although Beterbiev still moved toward him he did not throw much through the frame and Bivol outworked him.
With three to go it was poised and everything seemed to hang in the balance with nine minutes remaining.
Beterbiev was still struggling to catch Bivol cleanly but Bivol was able to score with several eye-catching flurries. Bivol slipped to the right, he slid to the left and Beterbiev couldn’t set his feet to let his famed heavy shots go.
Bivol remained in the role of the composed matador, but in the 11th Beterbiev broke through with a strong right hand and worked away with hard lefts and rights when Bivol, swollen over the left eye, offered little in response.
They touched gloves respectfully to open the 12th and Bivol had recovered sufficiently to start promisingly. Beterbiev, ever the stalker, tracked him to the ropes, and with 80 seconds remaininh Bivol was in retreat and having to tuck up. Beterbiev was in command at the end. Bivol was trying to keep him off and they swiped gloves once more at the bell in a sporting gesture.
It was an excellent, high-caliber fight. It featured two practitioners at the top of their game. Referee Thomas Taylor had been a virtual bystander as the two craftsmen elegantly hacked away at one another.
It was not a thriller but it did not need to be. It was a brilliant display of what the sport is about. Strategy, skill, fitness, courage and ability.
If the anticipation for this, the most attractive of all fights that could be made in the sport today, was the journey, then the destination was Elysium for fight fans.
Bivol had come for the King, and he missed.
But there is every chance that he will get his opportunity to come for “King” Arthur once more, only next time Beterbiev will go in as the undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world.
By Tris Dixon