Dmitry Bivol’s ex-wife, Ekaterina, has publicly celebrated the fact Artur Beterbiev beat him to become the undisputed light-heavyweight champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday evening.
Beterbiev became the first undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the four-belt era and the first undisputed champion of the division since Roy Jones Jr in 2002 after beating Bivol on points.
Beterbiev, who had knocked out all of his opponents prior to Saturday night, was taken the distance with one judge scoring it 114-114, while the other two went 115-113 and 116-12 in Beterbiev’s favour.
Ekaterina, who has been embroiled in a highly publicised split from Bivol, took to social media to express her support for Beterbiev after the fight, a move that has stunned many in the boxing world.
The former couple’s divorce, finalised last year, has been marked by a series of allegations from Ekaterina, who accused Bivol of emotional abuse and controlling behaviour during their marriage.
Dmitry Bivol’s ex-wife, Ekaterina, has publicly celebrated the fact Artur Beterbiev beat him to become the undisputed light-heavyweight champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday
Beterbiev pictured with the undisputed light-heavyweight belt on Saturday night
Ekaterina has been outspoken about their personal issues, often using social media to air grievances, which have cast a shadow over Bivol’s otherwise stellar boxing career.
Ekaterina took to social media after the fight to congratulate Beterbiev and celebrate Bivol’s loss. She allegedly said: ‘Karma caught up with this asshole. Artur, I’m happy for you. Now, my work is in court.’
She allegedly went on to add: ‘F***, honestly, that’s what you deserve. You got scared. Karma reached Bivol. Go f*** yourself. No, honestly, go f*** yourself. I was right.’
Bivol and his former partner shared a marriage of over 10 years, tying the knot in October 2013 having fallen for each other as youngsters.
Ekaterina – who also goes by Kate – first met her ex-husband on a flight in 2007 way before Bivol’s boxing career took off and from there, a romance began to blossom as the Russian fighter started to climb up the rankings.
The seemingly-loved-up couple had two boys together, Miron and Nikon, and appeared to be the ideal nuclear family, before announcing they would be separating last year amid accusations of domestic abuse.
The fight saw Beterbiev emerge victorious via majority decision, unifying the division and solidifying his status as the undisputed light-heavyweight champion
Bivol’s ex-wife Ekaterina (left) claims to have revealed ‘secret’s about her husband’s injuries
Bivol was devastated after the loss but refused to make any excuses in his post-fight interview
Ekaterina Bivol publicly alleged that her husband hit her, told her to get an abortion, and that she had almost been killed by her mother-in-law all in separate Instagram updates.
‘And this is how this ended… TOLD MY FATHER THAT I HIT MYSELF!!!! YOU ARE ALL scum!! DADDY PREVENTED ME [FROM GOING] to the police… May 3, 2023. The children saw everything!’ she posted online at the time.
‘And this is me, an unhappy psychopath, after your mom’s playing, I lost 8kg in 2 weeks. Did you [feel] sorry for me, the mother of your children and grandchildren?’ Ekaterina added.
She later also raised complaints about Bivol financially neglecting their kids, stating he only pays ‘$1,100 per month for both kids’ after Ekaterina won custody.
Bivol or his camp are still yet to issue an update in response to any of the allegations made last year.
In another social media post, Ekaterina backed his opponent, Beterbiev, to claim ultimate glory, and attempted to provide him with insider information in a bid to help him.
‘I want to tell you everything I know: he has a stress fracture of a vertebra in his back, all his hands have been operated on and not just once, one elbow for sure, very sore knees, his left ear is constantly swelling,’ Ekaterina wrote.
Ekaterina shared a picture of injuries she alleged had been given to her by her ex-husband
Bivol and his ex-wife share two children together during their marriage, Nikon (left) and Miron
‘It has been broken many times, and fluid has accumulated in his eye many times, sometimes he can’t see well. But the main thing is that he is a coward! We need your victory, Artur.’
In the aftermath of the fight, attention will now shift to the future of Bivol’s career and whether a rematch with Beterbiev will materialise.
