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 headline an RCC Promotions event in Ekaterinburg, Russia, with a date in May still to be confirmed.
The bout had been in the works as part of the undercard to Oleksandr Usyk’s planned heavyweight event, but that plan has now been dropped. 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 win over Malik Zinad, leaving 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 win over Imam Khataev, which secured his mandatory position.
Eifert (13-1, 5 KOs) represents a lower-profile opponent compared to the names tied to Bivol in recent months, but the mandatory obligation leaves limited flexibility. Moving the fight to Russia gives Bivol a controlled setting for his return rather than placing the bout on a card built around another headliner.
The shift also removes one of the more credible title fights from the planned Egypt event, which had been expected to feature multiple high-level bouts beneath its main attraction. Bivol’s fight now stands alone as the headline in Ekaterinburg, where he is expected to return against a challenger he is heavily favored to beat.
Bivol is taking care of business here, but it is 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 4:35 PM
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