Artur Beterbiev celebrates by dropping to the canvas as the referee calls off the fight after Anthony Yarde's corner threw the towel in [Source: BBC]

Artur Beterbiev came out on top of a firefight with Britain’s Anthony Yarde to retain his WBO, WBC and IBF light-heavyweight world titles in London.

Both men fought brilliantly in a back-and-forth epic over eight rounds.

Yarde hurt Beterbiev in an astonishing fifth round, but was then pulled out of the fight in the eighth after being knocked down by a powerful right hand.

Russian Beterbiev kept his 100% knockout record, while Yarde’s wait for world honours goes on.

“I could say it was a bad fight but I’m sitting here,” Beterbiev told BT Sport.

“Everyone in this division can punch and Anthony can too. He’s young and he has time and I hope he does well in the future.”