(Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing)
Dmitry Bivol has begun training camp for what he hopes to be a springtime return to defend his light heavyweight championship.
On the other side of the equation, IBF mandatory challenger Michael Eifert and his team continue to feverishly work to ensure the overdue title fight moves forward.
BoxingScene has confirmed that – given the group participation – all parties agreed to once again postpone the oft-rescheduled purse bid hearing. IBF officials agreed to move Tuesday’s session back by seven days, while all involved parties insist that a deal is within reach.
Bivol, 24-1 (12 KOs) is represented by Matchroom Boxing and manager Vadim Kornilov. Germany’s Eifert, 13-1 (5 KOs) is with SES Promotions and manager Benedikt “Benny “Blanko from the Burg” Poelchau.
Bivol recently celebrated (for the lack of a better term) the one-year anniversary of his last bout, a 12-round, majority decision over Artur Beterbiev last February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The feat saw Bivol become undisputed champion and avenge his lone career defeat. He previously held the WBA title for nearly eight years prior to his October 2015 narrow defeat to Beterbiev, also in Riyadh.
Despite the revenge fueled win to restore his championship status, Bivol has since endured a run of bad luck. First, he was forced to relinquish his WBC title for failure to face then-interim titlist David Benavidez in an ordered title consolidation bout.
Once the IBF was prepared to step in with plans to order its overdue mandatory, Bivol then filed for a medical exception. The two-tour champ underwent back surgery to remove a longstanding herniated disc, which left him shelved for the balance of 2025.
Eifert has been the top-rated IBF contender since his March 2023 upset win over former lineal and WBC champ Jean Pascal. Sadly, he’s only had one fight in that span while waiting for this due opportunity to materialize.
Bivol is out of exceptions to avoid moving forward with the mandatory, really the only leverage that the Eifert team enjoys in this scenario.
Unification isn’t an option; Benavidez is due to next face WBA/WBO cruiserweight titlist Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, 48-1 (30 KOs) on May 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Furthermore, the IBF ruled that the exception process was long exhausted. Beterbiev previously filed for one shortly after he was ordered to next face Eifert but instead…
2026-02-24 20:00:00
