Bivol reveals how he rebuilt mentally after first Beterbiev defeat

Former undisputed light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol has opened up about his psychological recovery following his first loss to Artur Beterbiev.

Their initial clash took place in October 2024, ending in a majority decision victory for Beterbiev.

“I just told myself: ‘Well, you lost—accept it quickly. Your hand wasn’t raised (laughs). Come on, review your mistakes and fix them. You’ve got a second chance.’ That’s it. I went into camp without blaming anyone—only myself—and corrected the mistakes I made in the first fight,” Bivol said in an interview with the RCC: MMA & Boxing YouTube channel.

In the rematch, Bivol turned the tables and defeated Beterbiev, setting the stage for what many now expect to be a historic trilogy between two of the greatest boxing stars of this era.