Who Won the Boxing Match Last Night? The Full Breakdown of the Results and Why It Happened

It wasn't even close. If you tuned in or scrolled through your feed this morning wondering who won the boxing match last night, the answer is Artur Beterbiev. He didn't just win; he cemented himself as the undisputed king of the light heavyweight division by defeating Dmitry Bivol in a fight that honestly lived up to every bit of the massive hype surrounding it.

Boxing fans have been waiting years for this. Literally years. It’s rare we actually get the two best guys in a division to step into the ring while they’re both still in their prime, but last night in Riyadh, it finally happened.

Beterbiev took a majority decision. One judge saw it as a draw at 114-114, while the other two handed it to Beterbiev with scores of 115-113 and 116-112. It was tense. It was high-level. It was, frankly, a masterclass in two completely different styles of violence clashing until the final bell.

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The Rhythm of the Fight: How Beterbiev Pulled It Off

Early on, it looked like Bivol’s night. He was doing exactly what Bivol does—moving like a ghost, snapping that jab, and making Beterbiev look every bit of his 39 years. Bivol’s footwork is probably the best in the sport right now. He wasn't just running; he was reset-ing the distance every time Beterbiev tried to plant his feet and let those heavy hands go.

But here’s the thing about Beterbiev: he’s a relentless pressure cooker.

He doesn't care if he loses the first four rounds. He’s betting on the fact that you can’t keep up that level of movement for 36 minutes. By the middle rounds, you could see the tide shifting. Bivol’s output started to dip, just a tiny bit, and that’s all Beterbiev needed. He started thudding shots into Bivol’s arms, his shoulders, and eventually, his ribs.

Even when Bivol blocked the punches, you could see the impact. It's the kind of power that degrades a person's resolve.

The Championship Rounds Were Everything

The 10th, 11th, and 12th rounds are where the fight was won. Beterbiev looked like a man possessed. He knew he was likely behind on the cards, or at least it felt that way to the crowd, so he turned up the heat to a level Bivol struggled to handle.

Bivol spent most of the final round with his back against the ropes. He was still landing sharp counters, sure, but the optics of Beterbiev stalking him down and landing heavy combinations were what ultimately swayed the judges. In a close fight, the guy who is moving forward and finishing stronger usually gets the nod. That’s exactly what happened.

Why the Scorecards are Causing a Stir

Look, social media is already on fire. Half the fans think Bivol got robbed. The other half thinks Beterbiev did enough to take it.

The 116-112 card feels a bit wide to me. Bivol controlled large portions of that fight with his technical brilliance. If you value "clean, effective punching," Bivol had a very strong case. However, if you value "effective aggression" and "ring generalship," you lean Beterbiev.

The reality is that Bivol stopped throwing in the later rounds. You can't win a legacy-defining fight by coasting in the final six minutes. Beterbiev forced the fight, and in the eyes of the officials, that aggression was the deciding factor in who won the boxing match last night.

It’s also worth noting that Beterbiev entered this fight with a 100% knockout ratio. This was the first time in his professional career he actually had to hear the judges' scores. That tells you everything you need to know about Bivol's toughness—he's the only man to ever take Beterbiev the distance.

What This Means for the 175-Pound Division

We now have an undisputed champion. All the belts—WBC, IBF, WBO, and WBA—now belong to Artur Beterbiev.

This is huge because the light heavyweight division has been fragmented for a long time. Having one clear "man" at the top brings a level of prestige back to the weight class that we haven't seen since the days of Roy Jones Jr. or Andre Ward.

But Beterbiev is 39. He’s had knee surgeries. He’s had infections that delayed this very fight. How much does he have left in the tank? He didn't look like a fading fighter in the 12th round, but father time is undefeated.

Was There a Robbery? Let’s Be Real

People love using the word "robbery" whenever their favorite fighter loses a close decision. This wasn't a robbery. A robbery is when a guy dominates 10 rounds and loses. This was a 7-5 or 6-6 type of fight that could have gone either way depending on what you like to see in the ring.

Bivol's promoter, Eddie Hearn, was obviously fuming. He called the 116-112 scorecard "disgusting." While that’s probably a bit of promotional theater, he has a point that the fight was much tighter than that specific card suggests.

On the other side, Beterbiev’s camp is celebrating a hard-earned victory. They focused on the "damage" aspect. In boxing, damage is supposed to be the primary scoring criterion. Beterbiev’s punches looked like they hurt more. Bivol’s face was marked up, and he looked physically exhausted by the end, whereas Beterbiev looked like he could have gone another three rounds.

What’s Next: Is a Remake on the Cards?

Everyone wants the rematch. The fans want it, the promoters want the money, and honestly, the fighters probably want to settle the score once and for all.

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, the man behind the recent boxing boom in Saudi Arabia, has already hinted that he wants to run it back. Given how much money is being thrown around in Riyadh right now, it’s almost a certainty.

If we do get a rematch, what changes?

• Bivol needs to find a way to keep his volume up in the second half of the fight.
• Beterbiev needs to figure out how to cut the ring off earlier so he doesn't spend the first four rounds chasing shadows.

There’s also the looming shadow of Canelo Alvarez. He’s always looking for big challenges, and a fight against an aging but undisputed Beterbiev would be a massive pay-per-view draw, even if most experts think Beterbiev is way too big and strong for him.

Actionable Takeaways for Boxing Fans

If you're trying to keep up with the fallout of this massive event, here is what you should be doing right now to stay ahead of the curve.

1. Watch the Replay of Rounds 10-12
To truly understand why Beterbiev won, you have to ignore the commentary and just watch the body language and the power shots in the final three rounds. This is where the fight was decided. If you only watch the highlights, you'll see Bivol's pretty combinations, but you'll miss Beterbiev's crushing pressure.

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2. Follow the Rankings Updates
Keep an eye on the Ring Magazine and Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (TBRB) updates over the next week. Beterbiev is going to skyrocket in the Pound-for-Pound rankings. Seeing where he lands compared to guys like Usyk or Terence Crawford will be the main debate in the boxing community for the next month.

3. Set Alerts for Rematch News
Don't expect an announcement tomorrow, but the "Step-aside" deals and negotiations usually leak through Twitter (X) via reputable sources like Mike Coppinger or Dan Rafael. If you want to know when the next chapter of this rivalry is written, those are the guys to follow.

4. Check the Undercard Results
While everyone is talking about the main event, the undercard had some serious implications for the future of the heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions. Jai Opetaia continues to look like an absolute monster, and Chris Eubank Jr. managed to keep his career alive with a solid performance. Understanding these results gives you the full context of where boxing is heading in late 2025 and early 2026.

Boxing is in a weirdly good place right now. For years, we complained that the big fights didn't happen. Now, they're happening almost every month. Whether you agree with the judges or not, having a definitive answer to who won the boxing match last night is better for the sport than another year of "what-ifs" and Twitter beef.

Artur Beterbiev is the man. For now.