ANB ARENA, SAUDI ARABIA -- They say revenge is a dish best served cold. Dmitry Bivol weathered a storm en route to a gutsy majority decision victory over Beterbiev, tying their series at one win apiece and claiming undisputed light-heavyweight gold, setting up a trilogy after yet another razor-thin duel going the full championship distance.

Jean-Robert Laine scored it a 114-114 draw, though Mike Fitzgerald (116-112) and Deon Dwarte (115-113) both had this thrilling rematch in Bivol's favour, doing enough to inflict compatriot Beterbiev's first career defeat after 12 years as a pro.

Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs), as promised, started fast but naturally wasn't going to have it all his own way against a determined champion in Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) further emboldened by beating him without being at his best last time around in October.

Nonetheless, Beterbiev held his feet in centre ring and attacked downstairs, Bivol circling before throwing a four-punch combination to get rowdy fans baying for more with a minute left in the opening stanza.

In the second, it was more of the same. Bivol's flurries were hitting Beterbiev's high guard, the unbeaten titleholder walking forward and flicking out left hands before doubling them up with the right, before Bivol offered stern resistance on the back foot.

A screw jab caught Beterbiev's attention with 75 seconds left in another closely-contested round, as Bivol flickered between defence and attack.

Replays between rounds showed the former long-reigning WBA champion's work was getting through, as he was sharply on the back foot early in the third with Beterbiev targeting the body and closing distance intently. Bivol held his feet and landed a five-punch flurry against the ropes before Beterbiev narrowly missed with a sweeping right hand and their back-and-forth exchanges persisted.

Bivol would throw five or six punches in a row, Beterbiev halt the momentum almost instantly by whipping a right hand before the pair really unloaded on each other in the final 20 seconds of a pulsating third.

Bivol looked buzzed and the fog hadn't cleared in the early part of the fourth as the defending champion continued working with overhand rights, effective even if blocked, while Bivol sported a scratch under his right eye and needed to fire back.

Easier said than done, Beterbiev made round four his best yet and this relentless pressure persisted to begin the fifth, Bivol shelling up and absorbing more than he would've liked.

An overhand right saw Bivol drop his high guard ever so slightly and that visual was enough for the 40-year-old to start teeing off with an efficiency many are used to seeing against Beterbiev opponents, albeit not against someone seen as his equal.

In the sixth, Bivol got back to his jab and tried stopping the blood flow with steady attacks of his own. Rattling off combinations whenever the opportunity allowed, those successful sequences only spurred Beterbiev forward into throwing more as the right continued doing damage.

The subsequent stanza followed that same pattern, Bivol having somewhat of a reprieve as the output from both slowed, though he got away with a cuffing shot as Beterbiev advanced in one of his better moments in the round.

Bivol wasn't landing clean with his flurries but the crowd didn't care, they weren't here to see a procession, as the challenger continued working well off the back foot before Beterbiev finished their nip-and-tuck round stronger.

If he regained his rhythm in the eighth, round nine saw more of the same for Bivol as he was buoyed by a crowd firmly in his favour.

Whether he connected or not, the mere perception was enough to get the fans hollering and anticipating another momentum shift, just like their back-and-forth first meeting proved, though the 34-year-old needed more.

That much was apparent in the tenth, Beterbiev tagging him downstairs early before Bivol landed three flurries in quick succession midway through an even round.

Again the younger man was soon backpedalling after eating more right hands and you couldn't help wondering how the judges had it with two rounds to go, especially after the challenger's inspired finish up against the ropes.

Round eleven was again nip-and-tuck, Bivol's success more theatrical though Beterbiev continued walking forward unbothered, almost as if the challenger's work didn't bother him enough to maintain the same level of respect he once had for it.

Nonetheless, Bivol unloaded combos early in the final round and Beterbiev matched him, charging across the ring and applying the same steady but subtle pressure forcing Bivol to unload his work in spirited bursts.

Head-then-body, Beterbiev had his right hand waiting to unleash as Bivol's team had their hands aloft, though their man didn't look convinced. He'd done enough.