The fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol lasted seven years and was designed and fought by Turki Alalshikh to once and for all crown an undisputed light heavyweight champion and determine supremacy at 175 pounds.

The fight may also have been intended to bring a new fighter into the discussion of the best pound-for-pound. And while Saturday’s fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia undoubtedly showed that Beterbiev and Bivol are among the sport’s elite, twelve rounds weren’t enough to really separate them in a fight that lived up to the hype.

Yes, Beterbiev received the majority decision – 115-113, 116-112 and 114-114 – but it was Bivol that the public seemed to favor. And while boxing’s top star, Canelo Alvarez, seeks revenge against Bivol for defeating him in May 2022, it is now Bivol who seeks the same against Beterbiev.

“I’m aware that I have to do everything perfectly, and I have no explanation for that because it might look like excuses,” said Bivol, who entered the ring as ESPN’s No. 4 pound-for-pound boxer. “…If I have that chance (for a rematch), yes. That’s my dream: to be undisputed.”

The 33-year-old Bivol appeared to be well on his way to achieving his dream. He outwitted Beterbiev from the outside and frustrated him with his excellent jab and footwork. Bivol intercepted many of Beterbiev’s vaunted power throws at his high guard.

But this accumulation of shots, even if they were blocked, had an effect. After all, the 39-year-old Beterbiev entered the ring as the only boxing champion with a knockout rate of 100%. Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) won the final three rounds on all three judges’ cards to earn the decision and left Bivol with a badly damaged left eye.

“He’s powerful, very powerful,” said Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs). “And you see I have a bruise on my hand (deflecting punches). He always beat her and it was so hard. Even he has reached my eye.”

This fight was much closer to deciding than Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed heavyweight championship victory over Tyson Fury in May, which also took place in Riyadh. Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, will host the heavyweight rematch on December 21, and hopefully he will do the same for Beterbiev and Bivol next year.

Only then can a decision be made about the greatest light heavyweight of this generation.

Had Bivol won, a possible rematch with Canelo as well as a rematch with Beterbiev would be an option. Now those plans are gone. After his win over Edgar Berlanga in September, Canelo said that Bivol “has the ability to beat Beterbiev,” adding that he was only interested in Bivol if he won, not Beterbiev.

The last light heavyweight summit clash was between Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev in the 2016-17 season. Like Beterbiev, Ward won the first fight in controversial fashion. Ward left no doubt in the rematch with an eighth-round TKO.

Now boxing fans – along with Beterbiev and Bivol – also need clarity as they both end up going to the Hall of Fame.

“I wanted to box with more quality today,” said Beterbiev. “I don’t know why, but I didn’t like this fight. But one day I’ll be better. … If His Excellency (Alalshikh) wants (the rematch), then we can do it.”