Dmitry Bivol became the undisputed light heavyweight world champion with a majority decision over Artur Beterbiev Saturday evening at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Four months after suffering a razor-thin defeat to Beterbiev, Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) returned the favor, avenging the lone blemish on his record with a tactical approach that paid dividends in the mid-to-late rounds.

Bivol looked to box early, but Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) started fast, punishing him with body shots that had a visible effect in the third and fourth rounds. He continued to press in the fifth and sixth, peppering Bivol with his signature short, thudding shots.

Then, as if by design, Bivol turned the tide in the second half. The seventh and eighth rounds showcased vintage Bivol as he maneuvered in and out of range, pumping his jab and countering with crisp straight punches. His momentum surged in rounds nine and ten, as his movement and counters made him a difficult target.

Beterbiev, sensing the fight slipping away, emptied the tank in the championship rounds. He pressed forward and hurt Bivol in the 12th, sweeping the final round on all three scorecards. But it was too late.

One judge had it 114-114, while the other two scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Bivol.

Beterbiev said, “I don’t want to talk about the decision. It’s tough. I congratulate Bivol and his team.

“I don’t know {what was different}. I think this fight was better than the first time. Actually, I didn’t even want the second fight. It wasn’t my choice. But, no problem. We can do the third fight.

“I think this fight was better than the first fight. Now it's my time to come back.”