Dmitry Bivol says Artur Beterbiev possesses the "aura of a monster" after coming up short against the unified champion in Riyadh

Dmitry Bivol has praised Artur Beterbiev for his "aura" following the pair's epic and razor-close encounter this past weekend.

Bivol and Beterbiev met inside the squared circle in the main event of a stacked card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The two light heavyweight stars were tasked with fighting it out for the undisputed title, as well as each putting their undefeated records on the line.

The two Russian stars went to war in a bout that highlighted why both men are considered two of the greatest boxers competing today. Dmitry Bivol's fight IQ and shot placement was on full display, as was Artur Beterbiev's aggressive volume and stamina. It was the unstoppable force meets the immovable object, and so the bout went the distance.

After what was considered by many to be a close contest, Beterbiev was handed the victory via majority decision (114-114, 115-113, 116-112).

Despite the disappointing and somewhat controversial defeat, Dmitry Bivol appears to be in fine spirits.

Speaking in a recent interview with Fight Hub TV, the 33-year-old revealed he was proud of his performance as many other fighters who have faced Beterbiev typically freeze due to his "aura." He explained:

“A lot of fighters who fight him and Canelo Alvarez, their emotions are against them. A lot depends on your emotions. The aura around Beterbiev is like he's a monster. Some people will be scared of him, but I was excited.”

Check out Bivol's comments here:

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Dmitry Bivol to file official appeal against Artur Beterbiev scorecard under suspicion of serious foul play

Dmitry Bivol believes they may have been a case of serious foul play by a judge when it came to scoring his bout against Artur Beterbiev.

Bivol suffered the first loss of his career and missed out on the chance to become boxing's undisputed light heavyweight champion when he was defeat by Beterbiev in Riyadh. The Russian-Canadian got the nod on the scorecards, winning the fight via majority decision.

One scorecard in particular came under scrutiny, with judge Pawel Kardyni scoring the fight 116-112 in favor of Beterbiev. The lopsided scorecard in such a competitive bout has since led to accusations of foul play, with Bivol now taking the steps to have it investigated.

Speaking to BoxNation following the loss, Bivol's manager Vadim Kornilov said:

"We are going to file a protest [on Monday].... I think the judge has to have at least some kind of responsibility for what he did. It is becoming very destructive to the sport, what they are doing. These organizations have supervisors, the supervisors are all friendly with the judges, they are hugging promoters, it's beginning to look like a scheme."

Check out Kornilov's comments here (10:25):