Beterbiev defeats Bivol for undisputed boxing world champion crown

The headline clash, postponed from last June after Montreal-based Beterbiev suffered a knee injury, put the four recognised major belts in the hands of one man for the first time.

The last undisputed light heavyweight champion was American Roy Jones Jr, who beat Reggie Johnson to unify the WBA, WBC and IBF belts in 1999.

Bivol made himself a moving target in a high-quality fight between the big punching and aggressive Beterbiev and a more fluid rival who landed eye-catching early blows and had the better of the early rounds.

There was little between the two at the halfway point, with Beterbiev possibly behind but every round a close call in a fight short of fireworks but with plenty for the purists.

Beterbiev knew he had to close with a bang in the last two rounds and raised the tempo but Bivol hung in there and fired back some powerful combinations.

“I just congratulate Artur and his team, he deserves it,” Bivol, who expects a possible rematch, said after the fight.

“I did my job, I felt I could do better, I always feel I can do better, but that’s the opinion of the judges. He won.”

Australia’s Jai Opetaia earlier retained his IBF cruiserweight world title when Jack Massey’s corner threw in the towel two minutes into the sixth round with the beaten Briton bleeding from a cut to the side of his nose.

The convincing win took Opetaia’s record to 26-0.