Dmitry Bivol and Michael Eifert have reached an agreement for their IBF mandatory light heavyweight title fight, bringing an end to months of negotiations and canceling a purse bid that had been scheduled for this week. The bout is now expected to take place on May 23 as part of the undercard for the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven heavyweight championship event at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
The agreement resolves a prolonged process that included multiple negotiation extensions before the two sides finally found common ground. With the deal in place, the scheduled purse bid hearing was canceled within 24 hours of its planned date.
Bivol will make the first defense of his second reign as a light heavyweight champion. The Russian has not fought since February 2025, when he defeated Artur Beterbiev by majority decision in their rematch in Riyadh to become the undisputed champion at 175 pounds.
The victory saw Bivol regain the WBA title he had previously held for nearly seven years. However, it also left him with mandatory challengers from both the IBF and WBC. The WBC initially pushed for a fight with interim champion David Benavidez, but Bivol eventually vacated that belt after failing in an appeal that sought to prioritize his IBF obligation against Eifert.
Eifert secured his mandatory position in March 2023 with a decision victory over former lineal champion Jean Pascal in Canada. Since then, the German contender has fought only once while waiting for his overdue title opportunity and allowing the two Beterbiev–Bivol bouts to take place.
Image Credit: Queensberry Promotions