Greatness recognizes greatness. So after avenging his previous loss against Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol stated: “It was hard, to be honest, to keep him on the outside for the first four rounds.” Similarly, Beterbiev showed immense sportsmanship when he said, “Congrats to Bivol.” The loss was by no means an easy one to swallow; It was his first career loss after a dominating 21-fight win streak (with 20 KO wins).

While Bivol barely matched Beterbiev 142-137 in total punches landed in their first fight, he was determined to win this time and hence landed 170 this time, as opposed to Beterbiev’s 123. It was an eventful evening for both sides, but because their initial fight and their rematch were so close, Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, who was ringside, held up three fingers, telling us that there could be a trilogy coming up.

Regardless, while Beterbiev may have experienced his first loss, he has also garnered some much-needed support from the combat world; Especially from Russian MMA fighters. For instance, in a post on Instagram, Zubaira Tukhugov wrote, “Brother, Arthur, you are a true champion and a worthy representative of your people. You have forever etched your name in the history of the world, professional sport. You are a phenomenal sportsman who has reached unbelievable heights in boxing. You are an absolute champion with nothing to prove! We are proud of you!”

It wasn’t just simple admiration, it was a declaration of respect for a fighter who had walked through fire time and time again. Similarly, Islam Makhachev echoed the sentiment, sharing Tukhugov’s words on his Instagram story. For Team Khabib, a loss doesn’t erase legacy. In their world, greatness isn’t measured solely by belts. It’s also about heart, resilience, and the willingness to step into battle against the best. And they weren’t the only ones who thought so.

UFC sensation Khamzat Chimaev, known for his ferocity in the cage, also took to social media to remind the world of Beterbiev’s place in history. “Will always remain in the history of boxing @arturbeterbiev legend,” Chimaev wrote, alongside a powerful image of the 21-1 boxer draped in championship gold.

And Artur Beterbiev had done just that. The rematch against Dmitry Bivol was nothing short of a masterclass in high-stakes boxing. The 40-year-old Canadian-Russian slugger brought his signature power, rattling Bivol with thunderous power punches early in the fight.

But Bivol had answers.

Crisp footwork, lightning-fast counters, and an unwavering game plan allowed him to take control in the later rounds. By the championship rounds, Bivol was dancing, landing clean shots, and proving why he had long been considered one of the most technical boxers in the world.

With the judges scoring the fight 114-114, 116-112, and 115-113, Bivol walked away with the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF titles becoming the undisputed light-heavyweight king of boxing. When the final bell rang, there was no instant celebration, just two warriors who had emptied their gas tanks in pursuit of greatness.

So, what’s next for Artur Beterbiev? That’s the question hanging over the boxing world like an unfinished symphony after the incredible re-match between the pair. The answer may lie in the inevitable calls for one more fight to finally settle the score!

Dmitry Bivol needs a little “rest” as Beterbiev is ready to throw down for a third time!

As the dust settled over the re-match between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, questions quickly began popping up about what came next. Bivol, now the undisputed light-heavyweight champion, confessed, “I’m ready for any challenge. But I want a little bit of rest, because I had some injuries and I was using anti-inflammation [medication] almost the whole camp. I want a little bit of time to heal myself and come back.”

At the same time, he stated that December would be a great time to return to the ring. He also dabbled with the idea of moving up in weight. “Maybe we could talk about cruiserweight. I will think about it also, why not. I have belts here [at light heavyweight]. I need to check cruiserweight. Why not?”

On the other hand, Beterbiev, who had just suffered the first loss of his professional career, was more blunt in his response. While he didn’t speak on the judge’s decision, he did congratulate his opponent and state, “I think this fight was better than first fight, but now it’s my time to come back.”

And then came the burning question, would he take the trilogy fight? Beterbiev didn’t hesitate as he stated, “Actually I didn’t want the second fight. It wasn’t my choice. But no problem. We’re going to do a third fight.”

For fans, the prospect of a third showdown between these two warriors is too good to ignore. Even Islam Makhachev and Team Khabib along with Chimaev made it clear that Beterbiev’s greatness isn’t defined by a single fight. In their eyes, he’s still an absolute champion.

So, do you think we’ll get to see these two elite boxers square off once more to settle the score? Let us know in the comments below!