Former undisputed world champion in the light heavyweight category, Russian boxer Artur Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) declined to shake hands with his compatriot Dmitry Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) after losing the rematch, as reported by Vesti.kz .
Their second fight took place in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). After 12 rounds, Bivol claimed the undisputed champion title from Beterbiev, winning by a majority decision - 114-114, 116-112, 115-113. This defeat marked the first loss in Beterbiev's career.
Following the fight, a moment was captured on the broadcast where Beterbiev refused to shake Bivol's outstretched hand.
Later, Dmitry clarified the situation.
"After the fight, I approached him and said, 'Artur, I have a lot of respect for you. When I was young and joined the national team, I looked up to you. I respect you, want to shake your hand, and thank you for the fight.' We shook hands, and he also said, 'Thank you for the fight. This is sports. You are a great boxer too.'
Then we had another conversation; he came over but said, 'I'm not going to shake hands now because we will have a third fight.' He said it calmly, without arrogance, in a respectful manner. I replied, 'No problem,'” Bivol shared at the press conference.
It is worth noting that their first fight took place in October 2024, where Beterbiev also won by a majority decision, handing Bivol his first career defeat.