Dmitry Bivol-Michael Eifert Deal Reached; Scholarship bid cancelled

Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) holds the IBF light heavyweight title and now moves forward with a defense against the mandatory challenger. Eifert (13-1, 5 KOs) secured the position after advancing through the IBF elimination process and has been waiting several months for a title fight. The German contender earned his spot by winning the final eliminator ordered by the IBF, which puts him next in line for the belt.

The sanctioning body ordered a purse bid after negotiations between the camps stretched beyond the original deadline.

The date has been moved several times. Both camps later notified the IBF that an agreement had been reached, allowing the sanctioning body to cancel the purse bid.

Multiple delays have occurred since late 2025 as teams continued to work toward deadlines.

Adding Bivol-Eifert gives the May 23 event another championship battle along with the unusual main event between Usyk and Verhoeven. Usyk will defend the WBC heavyweight title against Verhoeven, a decorated kickboxing champion who is making his professional boxing debut after a long career at the top of the sport.

Bivol’s defense against Eifert is expected to be one of the featured fights on the card, which promoters have promoted as an international event hosted at the Pyramids of Giza. The show will combine traditional championship boxing with a crossover main event designed to attract attention from both boxing and kickboxing audiences.