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In typical fashion, Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev refrained from trading barbs when they shared a stage ahead of their rematch next month.
Beterbiev won a controversial decision over Bivol in October to become undisputed light-heavyweight champion, and the pair will run it back on 22 February.
Ahead of that rematch, the part-Russians appeared at a press conference in London on Monday (13 October), where Bivol said: “This is a good chance for me. I know people liked the first fight and they want to see the second fight, and I want to be the winner of this fight.
“What about belts? Before I wanted to have these belts so much, and nothing else. But today, I want revenge. I want to fix what I did before. It’s not only about belts now.”
Bivol was unbeaten prior to his fight with Beterbiev, 39, who had knocked out all of his opponents before facing the 34-year-old.
“I need to change enough to prove that I’m better,” Bivol said, “and I need to add more: more actions. We’ve already changed a little bit with our training camp. Now I’m working on myself. Of course I want to be better, I want to be perfect – and I’m trying to be.”
When asked how Bivol avoided a knockout, unlike any of Beterbiev’s previous opponents, the undisputed champion said: “I don’t know, because maybe he [had] luck that night.”
It was the only moment of needle between the pair, but Bivol’s response was a calm one. “You know, I don’t believe too much in luck,” he said, adding: “I believe luck will come to people who work a lot. I work on it, and I become lucky. Luck will not come without work.”
When asked to send a final message to Beterbiev, Bivol did respond humorously, saying: “I don’t have any messages; I’m not a postman, I’m an athlete. I will come to the ring, and we will talk with actions.”
Earlier at the event, Bivol’s promoter Eddie Hearn said: “To me, [Bivol] should be sitting here as undisputed light-heavyweight champion. When we got in the ring [after the fight], I believe both teams knew there was only one winner in that fight, and now it’s time to put it right on 22 February.”
Beterbiev’s controversial victory saw him retain the WBC, WBO and IBF light-heavyweight titles, while taking Bivol’s WBA belt. One scorecard read 114-114, while the others were 115-113 and 116-112 in Beterbiev’s favour.
