Undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev can’t make up his mind about whom to fight next. The 39-year-old Russian native is coming off a close and controversial majority decision win over former WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol on October 12th at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Immediately after, everyone started anticipating a rematch. 

However, in a twist of a lifetime, Beterbiev called out social media boxer Jake Paul after the latter defeated legendary Mike Tyson on November 15th at Cowboy Arena in Arlington, Texas. “Jake Paul, what can you do in a ring against the current undisputed champion? Just know that I’m open to any suggestions,” he wrote on Instagram. But now, he has another question on his mind.

Artur Beterbiev leaves Bivol’s future in the hands of his fans

Turning to social media, earlier today, the Montreal resident shared a picture from his fight against his last opponent, asking his fans, “Do we need a rematch?” Interestingly, while Beterbiev contemplates his next steps, the IBF ordered the 29-year-old to begin negotiations with mandatory challenger Michael Eifert. Meanwhile, Bivol sent a request to the sanctioning bodies, asking for their support in securing a rematch with Beterbiev. Per reports, the IBF has suggested that if Beterbiev wants, he can request an exception to make a voluntary defense against Bivol, which they say will be considered. 

The main reason behind the uproar for a rematch between the duo was the extremely close nature of the fight. The duo exchanged blows relentlessly for twelve rounds and took the lead in one round or the other. This, coupled with a 116-112 score from Judge Pawel Kardyni, had some fans screaming ‘robbery’ after the fight concluded. 

However, since Bivol posed his question on social media, the sentiment among fans seems to have changed drastically.

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A rematch between Beterbiev and Bivol would absolutely be a banger. And this fan knew it quite well. “Yes. Even though I had you winning, it was such a close fight that it warrants a rematch,” the user wrote. Notably, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh deemed the result unfair, asserting that Bivol should have been crowned the winner. He also hinted at plans to organize a rematch.

Beterbiev’s post shocked one user, as he presented his dilemma. “Did you just go from calling out Jake Paul to proposing a rematch with Dmitry f**king Bivol,” the user asked. However, it’s highly unlikely that ‘The Problem Child’ will accept Beterbiev’s challenge. Plus, even though it’s unlikely, Beterbiev might have been using the momentum of the hype to get his name out there.

Another user seemed opposed to the idea, suggesting an alternate opponent. “No need! We need Canelo, our biggest paycheck,” the user commented. Some fans and experts have pitted the duo together to speculate who would win, but nothing solid has come out of this pairing yet. Also, the last time Canelo Alvarez visited the light heavyweight division, he lost the fight to Bivol. 

Meanwhile, this user seemed hopeful for a rematch, even sharing his prediction. “Beterbiev in the 6th if the rematch happens,” the user wrote. However, Beterbiev appeared significantly off his usual form against Bivol, suggesting that a rematch holds strong potential for a different outcome.

One user argued that neither Bivol, Jake Paul nor even Canelo Alvarez should be the next opponent. “Nope, fight the winner of Benavidez and Morrell,” the user suggested. It’s worth noting that originally, David Benavidez was supposed to face the winner of Beterbiev vs. Bivol, but all the rematch talk seems to have overshadowed it. Benavidez will now fight David Morrell on February 1st. 

That being said, it appears the initial hype for a rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol seems to have gone down significantly. However, only time will tell what the new undisputed light heavyweight champion will do next. Who do you think he should fight?