“I’m Trying To Forget About It” – Dmitry Bivol On Loss To Beterbiev

Dmitry Bivol says he wants to “forget about” his loss to Artur Beterbiev last Saturday night. Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) isn’t happy with the way he fought, falling to fight the “perfect” style to defeat IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight champion Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) in Riyadh.

It’s probably not a good idea for Bivol, 33, to “forget about” his loss because he will not learn anything from it if he doesn’t analyze what went wrong.

What Cost Bivol the fight

– Fading late: Gassing in the last six rounds
– Too Much movement
– Beterbiev’s body punching & power
– Not fighting hard in the second half

Bivol lost a 12-round majority decision in a fight many boxing fans believed he should have won. The judges didn’t see it their way, scoring it 114-114, 115-113 and 116-113. The last score upset Bivol’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, and many people saw it differently.

Bivol didn’t give many details about what went wrong after the fight, but it was obvious that he didn’t stand up to Beterbiev in the last six rounds. He’d done well in the first half but then caved into Beterbiev’s pressure in the second part.

“I feel empty emotionally now. I went to the ring to win this fight, but I don’t have my belt,” said Dmitry Bivol to Sky Sports Boxing, looking deflated after losing to Artur Beterbiev last Saturday night. “From my side, I’m trying to do everything perfect, everything amazing, but I didn’t.”

The decision was controversial, but it’s important that Bivol understand why the three judges failed to give him the victory. It wasn’t a conspiracy by them to rob him, but rather he didn’t meet Beterbiev’s aggression by standing up to him during the second half of the fight. In almost any fight, the judges score in favor of the aggressor.

“I don’t think if I win or if I lose. I lost because I don’t have my belt,” said Bivol. “I didn’t do everything perfect. I have to do everything perfect. I’m trying to forget about it and move forward now. Of course, against this guy, Artur. You shouldn’t stand in front of him. You shouldn’t feel the ropes behind your back, and I was trying to move.”

Bivol should have stood in front of Beterbiev more because he was expending too much energy moving, and the judges didn’t like that he wasn’t willing to battle Artur.

“At the same time, I was trying to [have] him expend energy, and I trying to let him throw his punches. If I have the chance, of course, I would like to fight again,” said Bivol.