The saga of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol continues. Despite settling it inside the ring, the fierce back-and-forth between both fighters and their camps hasn’t subsided. In fact, tensions have escalated following a controversial decision that left fans dissatisfied, with the former WBA champion’s camp adding fuel to the already intensifying verbal attacks against Beterbiev. It’s developing into an ugly situation and that’s something that Mauricio Sulaiman doesn’t appreciate.

Notably, Beterbiev, 39, handed over a defeat to Bivol, 33, and bagged the undisputed crown at 175. But the fight wasn’t without controversy, as judge Pawel Kardyni‘s scorecard of 116-112 caused an uproar. It allowed Bivol’s team to float claims of robbery, which have been refuted by Beterbiev’s camp. The newly crowned champion, unfazed by the attacks, humbly declared in the presser, “You know, they can say anything.”

Top Rank’s Carl Moretti also chimed in and defended their case. He added, “Look at Artur’s face and then look at Bivol’s face when he walks into the room. Even though his gloves were high. Something was hitting him. It wasn’t a ghost.” It was about these comments and clips that the WBC President shared his thoughts and expressed his opinion.

Sulaiman, 54, turned to his X handle and highlighted the fight’s importance. The fight swayed the fans with its constant action, where none of the fighters were willing to cede an inch. The fireworks continued till the last in a fight that crowned the first-ever undisputed champion at 175 in the four-belt era. He wrote, “Such a great fight should not be tainted by negativity.”

It seems these pleadings will go in vain, as Bivol’s camp has decided to protest against the decision formally. The Tokmok native’s manager Vadim Kornilov admitted in a conversation with BoxNation that they had decided to file a complaint on Monday, as he also pointed out the suspicious behavior of the supervisors post-fight.

Team Dmitry Bivol ready to take legal recourse

Kornilov demanded the responsibility from the judges for their said wrongdoing. He even called it “destructive “ to the sport. He said, “These organizations have supervisors. The supervisors are all friendly with the judges. They are hugging promoters. It’s beginning to look like a scheme.”

Kornilov recalled seeing some of the supervisors hugging members of Top Rank even before the scores had been read out. “What is that about? What kind of buddy-buddy relationship do they have there? Where is the professionalism of the sport?” he asked angrily during the same interview.

It remains to be seen how the formal complaint will affect the talks of a rematch between the two camps and whether there were chances of reversal of the decision. The debate is about how the judges scored the close rounds, where Artur Beterbiev‘s power and pressure pushed Dmitry Bivol to the ropes. But Bivol landed more clean shots and had a higher power punch percentage due to his lesser output.

What do you make of this comment by Mauricio Sulaiman about the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight? Who do you think won the fight? Let us know in the comments below.