Dmitry Bivol’s IBF mandatory defense against Michael Eifert is no longer expected to take place on the May 23 card in Egypt and will instead be an RCC Promotions event in Ekaterinburg, Russia, with a date yet to be confirmed in May.
The fight was in the works as part of the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s planned heavyweight event, but that plan has now been scrapped. The change moves Bivol out of a supporting slot on an international card and into a main event position in his home country.
Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) has not fought since his February 2025 victory over Malik Zinad, which left him inactive for more than a year by the time he returns. The IBF ordered him to face Eifert following the German contender’s knockout victory over Imam Khataev, securing his mandatory position.
Eifert (13-1, 5 KOs) represents a lower-profile opponent compared to the names linked to Bivol in recent months, but the mandatory commitment leaves limited flexibility. Moving the fight to Russia gives Bivol a controlled environment for his return rather than putting the fight on a card built around another headliner.
The move also removes one of the more credible title fights from the planned Egypt event, which was expected to have several high-profile fights under its main attraction. Bivol’s fight now stands alone as the headliner in Ekaterinburg, where he is expected to return against a challenger he is heavily favored to beat.
Bivol takes care of business here, but it’s not the kind of fight that answers anything about where he stands against the top names in the division.
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Last updated on 2026/03/27 at 16:35
