Undisputed light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol is celebrating his latest win over Artur Beterbiev in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 34-year-old avenged his loss from last year to become the best light heavyweight boxer. However, this is not something he would share with his children, which he revealed in a recent interview.

Bivol was married to his ex-wife Ekaterina since July 2023, but the pair separated in 2023. Their divorce was a messy one with Bivol’s ex-wife attacking him publicly through social media. Amid all this, Bivol’s two sons Miron and Nikon, have become unwitting bystanders. However, following his win last weekend, Bivol had a special message for his sons.

What did Dmitry Bivol say about his sons?

Right from his locker room after the fight, Dmitry Bivol spoke to a Matchroom Boxing correspondent, celebrating both his victory and the new milestone in his career. Reflecting on his success, Bivol made it clear that achievements should be earned, not handed out while sending a message to his two sons.

“They don’t need big one [belt]. They need to earn by themselves,” he stated. The 34-year-old likened it to parenting, emphasizing that spoiling a child by giving them something unearned does more harm than good. “It’s not nice to give them just this belt. That’s mine. And it’s for my support people. But for the sons, they have to look at it and earn by themselves,” he added.

His stance on hard work and earning success comes amid past controversy. His ex-wife had previously accused him of being stingy with child support payments, alleging that despite his millions in earnings, he only contributes $1,100 per month. She also claimed Bivol was hiding foreign bank accounts.

Despite these allegations, Bivol’s message to his sons resonated with many fans, who responded with words of support.

Bivol praised for fatherhood

Bivol’s touching message for his children quickly received comments from fans across the web. One user praised Bivol for being a great father to his two children. “That’s a real father right there,” wrote the user. Notably, Bivol seems to have limited custody of his children at the moment. 

The next user claimed that the more they learned about Bivol, the more they appreciated him. “The longer I know about Bivol, the more I like this guy! 👏👏👏👏👏 Well said, brotha and most def Well done. 🤝,” the user wrote. Bivol had his father supporting him throughout his career, so he has a great role model to look up to. 

Someone else felt Bivol deserved his belts. “Congratulations to Bivol he definitely deserves it,” the user commented. After suffering a loss last year, Bivol came back to become the second undisputed light heavyweight champion since Roy Jones Jr. in 1999. 

Another user felt Bivol was teaching an important lesson to his sons. “I agree with him! The way his wife turning his kids against him! Teach them to earn their own 💯,” the user claimed. Bivol and his ex-wife have been having a very public falling out, with Ekaterina even accusing Bivol of abuse. 

Meanwhile, this user shared his opinion of Bivol’s two fights. “I agree he won both. But very close and would love to see a trilogy,” the user wrote. Interestingly, Artur Beterbiev has asked for a trilogy fight, but it’s yet to be seen whether a trilogy happens.

That said, it appears just like Dmitry Bivol, his sons will have to earn their way up to get their own belts. However, the question is, what did you think about the message Bivol sent to his children?