Artur Beterbiev has gone public with his frustration, accusing Dmitry Bivol of letting their lucrative trilogy “slip down the drain.” The light-heavyweight rivals sit at 1–1 after a razor-thin pair of fights, but Beterbiev says talks for a third meeting have stalled because Bivol “chose the path of retreat again.”
The 40-year-old Beterbiev, 21-1 (20 KOs), became undisputed last October before Bivol, 24-1 (12 KOs), returned the favor in February. Both results came by majority decision - mirror images that begged for a decider and kept the division buzzing. Instead, the rubber match looks distant.
Beterbiev will move on. He’s set to face Deon Nicholson on November 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the David Benavidez vs. Anthony Yarde undercard—a fight the champion frames as a keep-busy assignment, not a farewell. “I’ve waited long enough and I don’t intend to wait any longer,” he wrote on Instagram. “Sitting around doing nothing while someone else is resting is too much.”
Bivol’s path is murkier. He vacated his WBC title earlier this year—seemingly to clear the way for the trilogy after David Benavidez became mandatory—but with negotiations stalling, the clock ticked past him. “Our next fight was supposed to take place in Russia. We were offered great conditions… I did everything to make the third fight happen,” Beterbiev said. “See you on November 22 in Riyadh. I’m continuing my journey, no matter what.”
Image Credit: DAZN