Dmitry Bivol did “better.”
That was how the understated, undisputed light heavyweight champion explained his career-defining performance to DAZN’s Chris Mannix following his majority decision victory over Artur Beterbiev in their immediate rematch Saturday night. Bivol was much better than “better” during their second fight — and markedly better than he was four months earlier — courageously giving fans an unforgettable conclusion to a stacked pay-per-view show, “The Last Crescendo,” at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
It sure seemed during the third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds that the aggressive, stronger Beterbiev would wear down Bivol both mentally and physically with his relentless pressure, hard head shots and a firm commitment to body punching.