Boxing promoter and IBA Pro CEO Al Siesta shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net regarding the second match between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.
"Let's start by saying that the situation was set up to favor Bivol. I was in Riyadh. Every round replay featured Dmitry's active actions. Artur was just cut out, as if he wasn't doing anything. This was despite the fact that Bivol was in a crisis from the very beginning. But it’s not Dmitry’s fault, it’s the fault of the higher-ups behind him.
If Artur had won again, they wouldn't have hyped this story commercially. And now we have a trilogy. Their motivation wasn't to create a trilogy, it was to lead Bivol to victory. Nobody is interested in this match except Russian fans now.
"Both Bivol and Beterbiev are Russian boxers. The best venue for this trilogy would be Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow or Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg. We are currently in negotiations about this. To tell the truth: the feedback is taking a long time. We want Russia to celebrate this event," Siesta said.
On February 22, 2025, a rematch took place between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol for the title of undisputed world champion in the light heavyweight division, with Bivol winning by a majority decision. The third bout is planned for the end of 2025.
