By the end of 12 absorbing rounds in Riyadh, between the two best light-heavyweight boxers on the planet, calls for a rematch between newly-crowned undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev and defeated Dimitry Bivol were loud and immediate.
A fight that had promised so much duly delivered at the Kingdom Arena as Beterbiev added Bivol's WBA belt to the WBC, WBO, and IBF titles already in his possession to become the 175-pound division's first four-belt world champion.
The Canada-based Russian kept his unbeaten record intact but not his perfect knockout rate, getting taken the distance for the first time in his 21-fight professional career and earning the victory on the scorecards. One judge scored the fight a 114-114 draw while the second gave it to Beterbiev by one round 115-113. The third judge, however, saw it wider and awarded the 39-year-old victory 116-112, causing Bivol's promoter Eddie Hearn to launch into an impassioned tirade.
"I don't want to disrespect Beterbiev but that judge should never work again," Hearn said. "They're both tremendous fighters. No one on our row had Beterbiev win. We got in the ring and I'm looking round at Beterbiev and they're all deflated."
Hearn, of course, was not an impartial observer but his views were shared by Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and the key figure behind boxing's Saudi Arabia-led revolution.
"I don't think the result is fair, in my opinion," Alalshikh said. "[Both] fighters are like my brothers, but I think Bivol won two rounds more. I don't know why the result [is] like this, but in my opinion, I will focus and I will try to do the rematch. They deserve it. If they accept, we will do it."
To be clear, this was by no means a robbery. Throughout the bout, there was never much between the superstar fighters as Bivol used his speed to land early blows, while Beterbiev warmed to the task in the middle rounds before a late flurry in the final rounds proved the crucial difference in the eyes of the judges.
Both Russians showed patience in the opening rounds before Bivol went to work with his left jab and right hook as his speed troubled Beterbiev. The tide began to turn through the fifth and sixth rounds as Beterbiev began landing his right hook, forcing Bivol onto the defensive.
The bout spurred to life in the seventh as both fighters attacked. A big left by Bivol forced Beterbiev against the ropes, but Beterbiev responded with a heavy jab and short left hook as both fighters ended the round showing damage.
Beterbiev had only been beyond the seventh round five times in his 20 previous fights, but Bivol was going to make this go the distance as he was again the more assertive through rounds eight and nine.
But Beterbiev came back again in the 10th with a strong round to leave the fight in the balance and continued the assault into the 11th as a right hook to Bivol’s body was followed by an uppercut in a rare clear round win.
The final round saw Beterbiev up the tempo even more as he sought to extend his incredible record of winning every bout inside the distance, but Bivol held on to deny his compatriot a knockout blow.
“I feel not bad," Beterbiev said to DAZN after the fight. "I wanted to box with more quality. I’ll be better one day. It was a little bit uncomfortable. Of course, it was a tough fight because Dmitry is a tough champion and he has tough skills, better than me.”
Asked if he would be interested in a rematch with Bivol, the champion said: “If 'His Excellency’ [Alalshikh] wants, we gonna do [it].”
Bivol was gracious after suffering a first defeat in his 24th fight and refused to blame the scoring for the outcome of the bout. “I am a warrior. I had to do everything perfect [to win]. And I don’t have any explanation, because it could look like excuses. I just [say] congratulations to Artur and his team. He deserved it – no problem. I just have time to make another decision for my future. That’s it.”
Unsurprisingly, he too would be interested in running it back, saying: “We should ask boxing fans. Do they want this rematch? If they want, I would like to give this rematch and I would like to get this chance, of course, again.”
A rematch not only makes sense due to the competitiveness of Saturday night but also for the opportunity to create legacy moments for the fighters and the sport of boxing. As proven by the sheer quality of the fight, Beterbiev and Bivol are far and away the leading boxers in the division, and their rivalry feels primed for a trilogy.
This was a fight that may never have happened, one deemed solely for the purists that had never made financial sense before Saudi Arabia's involvement. Even after it was signed and sealed for June 1, a knee injury to Beterbiev that required surgery threatened to derail the fight once again. Now that it's happened and justified all the anticipation, the rematch will have even broader appeal.
"There has to be a rematch because ... there’s always gonna be the controversy of that fight," Hearn said. “And he’s a true champion. What other fight is there for Artur Beterbiev? I mean, the whole world will want to see that again."
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
Miguel Cotto world titles:
WBO Light Welterweight champion - 2004-06
WBA Welterweight champion – 2006-08
WBO Welterweight champion – Feb 2009-Nov 2009
WBA Light Middleweight champion – 2010-12
WBC Middleweight champion – 2014-15
WBO Light Middleweight champion – Aug 2017-Dec 2017
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
RIDE%20ON
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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The%20specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
The%20specs
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Kibsons%20Cares
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
