After running through the rest of the competition for years, it was only right that Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev met at the top of the light heavyweight mountain.

For both men, there was little left to prove. Beterbiev brutally stopped the likes of Callum Smith, Anthony Yarde, and Marcus Browne - proving that he’s one of the best 175-pounders ever. Only Bivol, who took out Zurdo Ramirez and Canelo Alvarez, to name a few, deserved a spot on the same pedestal.

With all of the gold on the line, they officially lined up on opposite sides of the ring against one another on October 12th.

For each man, they enjoyed plenty of moments of success but in different ways. Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) boxed beautifully from the outside while Beterbiev’s hard shots reverberated throughout the arena. Once the final bell rang, neither fighter hung their head low. Instead, they threw their arms in the air while showing off a bright smile. Yet, regardless of their confidence, Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) was the only one left smiling widely.

Controversy, soon after, set in. One side of the globe was stuck on the belief that Beterbiev’s relentless pressure, volume punching, harder shots, and overall work rate made him the clear winner. On the other side of that, Bivol’s supporters viewed his movement, timing, jab, and the speed of his punches, as an indicator that he should have gotten the nod.

Of course, none of that matters currently. The two are slated to do it again on February 22nd and intend to make things crystal clear the second time around.

As preparation is being wrapped up, Beterbiev grows tired of their first fight being mentioned. But, he ultimately has no choice but to listen to the opinions of the outside world. Differing conjecture is fine in his book but for those who believe he was given a favorable decision, simply don’t know boxing.

“It was a good fight,” said Beterbiev to Sky Sports Boxing. “Not a close fight.”