Lineal champion returns from surgery to defend IBF belt on the Usyk vs Verhoeven undercard in Egypt
Dmitry Bivol will defend the IBF light heavyweight title against mandatory challenger Michael Eifert on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The fight is scheduled for the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven.
Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time since his rematch victory over Artur Beterbiev on February 22, 2025. That win left the Russian as lineal champion at 175 pounds and placed him among the leading fighters in the division.
The IBF ordered the mandatory defense against Eifert after granting Bivol a medical exception that delayed the fight. The champion underwent back surgery in August, which pushed the mandatory deadline back while he recovered.
Negotiations between the two camps produced an agreement shortly before a purse bid scheduled for March 10.
For much of the past year, attention centered on a possible third fight between Bivol and Beterbiev. Bivol vacated the WBC title while pursuing that trilogy, but the bout never materialized during his recovery period.
With the IBF mandatory due, the champion now returns against the German contender.
Eifert (13-1, 5 KOs) has held the IBF mandatory position since March 2023. The German stepped aside to allow the Bivol vs Beterbiev rematch to proceed and has waited through a long mandatory cycle for his opportunity.
His most recent fight came in 2024 when he defeated Carlos Eduardo Jimenez. Eifert’s only loss occurred in 2020 when he dropped a majority decision to Tom Dzemski, a result he later avenged in their rematch.
While Bivol has spent years facing championship-level opposition, Eifert enters the bout attempting to turn a long wait as mandatory challenger into the biggest victory of his career.
The fight places the IBF light heavyweight title on the line in Egypt and marks Bivol’s first appearance since his victory over Beterbiev. For Eifert, the bout offers his first opportunity to challenge for a world title after holding the mandatory position for more than two years.