If you woke up today wondering who won the fight last night, you’re probably looking for a name, but what you’re actually going to find is a massive, sport-defining argument. Boxing doesn't do things the easy way. It never has. Last night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Artur Beterbiev became the undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world by defeating Dmitry Bivol. He took it. But man, "took it" is a loaded phrase today.
The scorecards read 114-114, 115-113, and a head-scratching 116-112.
Beterbiev now holds all the belts—WBC, IBF, WBO, and WBA. He’s 39 years old. He’s a wrecking ball. Before last night, he had knocked out every single person he’d ever faced in a professional ring. Bivol changed that. He took Beterbiev the distance, which is a feat of survival in itself, but the result has left the boxing world absolutely fractured. Some people see a relentless aggressor who earned the win in the "championship rounds." Others see a technical masterclass by Bivol that was essentially robbed by judges who favor power over precision.
The Breakdown: How Beterbiev Won on the Cards
Artur Beterbiev is scary. There is no other way to put it.
Even when he’s not landing clean, he’s hitting you. He’s hitting your shoulders, your gloves, your forehead. It drains you. For the first four rounds, it looked like Bivol was putting on a clinic. He was popping the jab, moving laterally, and making Beterbiev look every bit of his nearly 40 years. But boxing is scored round by round. It’s not a cumulative "who looked better" contest, though we often wish it was.
Beterbiev’s pressure became the story of the second half of the fight. If you’re asking who won the fight last night based on physical damage, Beterbiev’s face was marked, but Bivol was the one backed against the ropes in rounds 10, 11, and 12. That matters to judges. It shouldn't always matter more than clean counter-punching, but it does.
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Why the 116-112 Score is Causing a Riot
Let's be real for a second. 115-113 is a fine score. You can find seven rounds for Beterbiev if you really value aggression and heavy-handed pressure. You can find seven for Bivol if you like the "hit and don't get hit" philosophy. But 116-112? That means the judge gave Bivol only four rounds.
That feels wrong.
Bivol’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, was predictably livid. He called it a "robbery," which is a word thrown around too often in boxing, but in this case, the wide margin of that one card felt like a slap in the face to Bivol’s discipline. Bivol stayed composed. He stayed behind the jab. He landed the cleaner, more eye-catching combinations in the early flurries. Yet, the judges in Riyadh seemed enamored with Beterbiev’s "thudding" style.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Results
A lot of casual fans think the "stats" tell the whole story. They don't.
If you look at CompuBox—which, remember, is just two guys hitting buttons—the numbers were close. Bivol actually landed at a higher percentage. He looked like the fresher fighter for about 20 minutes of the half-hour they were in there. But Beterbiev threw more. He was the one "making" the fight. In the eyes of many traditionalists, if the champion (which they both were, in a sense) isn't clearly beaten, you don't take the decision away from the guy walking forward.
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Honestly, it’s a clash of styles that the human brain isn't wired to judge objectively. Do you prefer the fencer or the guy with the sledgehammer?
The Turning Point in Round 11
If you want to know who won the fight last night and why, look at the eleventh round. Bivol looked tired. For the first time in his career, he looked like he was feeling the weight of another man’s strength. Beterbiev sensed it. He poured it on. He didn't get the knockout, but he dominated the optics of those final six minutes. In a close fight, the judges almost always remember the last thing they saw. And the last thing they saw was Bivol covering up while Beterbiev swung for the fences.
What Really Happened with the Undisputed Crown
This was the first time in the four-belt era that we’ve had an undisputed light heavyweight king. That’s huge. It’s history.
But it feels... murky.
Turki Alalshikh, the man behind the massive Saudi influx of cash into boxing, didn't seem thrilled. He’s already talking about a rematch. That’s usually the sign of a controversial decision. When the guy paying the bills says he wants to see it again because he’s not sure about the result, you know we’ve got a "paper" champion situation in the eyes of the public.
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Beterbiev is now 21-0. He kept his undefeated record, but he lost his 100% knockout streak. Bivol is 23-1. He lost his "0," his WBA belt, and his claim to being the best technician in the sport—at least according to the official record.
Beyond the Main Event: Other Last Night Results
It wasn't just those two. The Riyadh Season card was stacked, and if you missed the undercard, you missed some absolute demolition jobs.
- Chris Eubank Jr. did exactly what he was supposed to do against Kamil Szeremeta. He dropped him multiple times before the referee finally had enough in the seventh. It wasn't a "fight" so much as a sanctioned tune-up.
- Fabio Wardley effectively ended the Frazer Clarke rivalry in about two minutes. He caught Clarke with a right hand that looked like it could have moved a house. Clarke’s jaw was visibly damaged, and the fight was waved off immediately. It was brutal. It was efficient. It was everything the main event wasn't—decisive.
- Jai Opetaia continued his run as the boogeyman of the cruiserweight division. He’s just too fast, too mean, and too skilled for the current crop of challengers.
What Happens Next?
The world wants the rematch.
Beterbiev is old. Every month that passes is a win for Bivol in a second fight. Beterbiev looked human last night. He looked like a man who can be outboxed, even if he eventually grinds you down. If they run it back in early 2026, I’d expect Bivol to be the betting favorite again. He knows he can hurt Beterbiev’s rhythm now.
But for today, the answer to who won the fight last night is Artur Beterbiev. He has all the gold. He has the history. He just doesn't have the unanimous approval of the fans.
Actionable Steps for Fight Fans
If you're feeling frustrated by the decision or just want to get deeper into the analysis, here is what you should do next to really understand the nuance of what happened in Riyadh:
- Watch the fight again without commentary. The "blow-by-blow" announcers often create a narrative that isn't actually happening. Listen to the impact of the punches. Watch the footwork. You might see a completely different fight.
- Focus on rounds 7 through 9. Most analysts agree these were the "swing" rounds. If you give those to Bivol, he wins. If you give them to Beterbiev, the 115-113 card makes perfect sense.
- Keep an eye on the IBF rankings. Because boxing is a mess of politics, there is a high chance Beterbiev will be stripped of a belt if he doesn't fight a mandatory challenger next instead of Bivol. The "undisputed" tag might only last a few weeks.
- Follow the medical updates on Frazer Clarke. That knockout on the undercard was serious. It’s a reminder of why these guys get paid what they do and the risks involved in the "sweet science."
The dust is still settling. Boxing is a sport of opinions, and last night gave us enough fuel for arguments to last until the rematch is signed. Beterbiev has the belts, Bivol has the sympathy, and the fans have a reason to keep watching.