Unified light-heavyweight champion to make homecoming title defence.
Dmitry Bivol’s mandatory title defence has been officially announced by Matchroom Boxing, with the pound-for-pound star set to make the first defence of his unified light-heavyweight championship.
Russia’s Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) is one of the very best fighters in the world of boxing, having announced himself on the widest of scales by handing Canelo Álvarez his second official loss in 61 professional fights, causing the Mexican to lose his universally agreed-upon position as pound-for-pound number one in May of 2022.
Ever since, Bivol has only enhanced his standing in the sport, becoming undisputed champion after a rematch victory over Artur Beterbiev in February of 2025.
That is the last time Bivol was seen in action, as he has been sidelined after surgery for a long-standing back injury, a period of inactivity that saw his WBC title relinquished and awarded to David Benavidez.
But now Bivol is back, and he will be fulfilling his IBF mandatory against Michael Eifert (13-1, 5 KOs), a many-times-postponed bout that has now officially been made.
Initial reports had it that Bivol-Eifert would be appearing on the undercard of the curious affair between Oleksandr Usyk and kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, but it was then revealed that it would be headlining its own card in Russia.
And so, it has now been made official, as Dmitry Bivol will be defending his WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO, The Ring, and lineal light-heavyweight championships on the 30th of May at a venue yet to be confirmed in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
Many have questioned Eifert’s status as mandatory challenger, as the German gained his current position with a 2023 victory over 40-year-old former champion Jean Pascal and hasn’t beaten many other fighters of much note.
However, it is expected to be an understandably soft touch for Bivol, who is returning after a forced absence due to circumstances outside of his control.
Bivol will be fighting in his home country for the first time since a 2021 title defence over Umar Salamov.
Let’s go, @bivol_d 👑 #BivolEifert pic.twitter.com/P2GtUHH2mP
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) March 30, 2026
Want to get the latest boxing news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
