IBF Delays Dmitry Bivol–Michael Eifert Mandatory Again

The IBF has again postponed the purse bid for Dmitry Bivol’s mandatory title defense against Michael Eifert. Tuesday’s scheduled hearing was removed from the sanctioning body’s calendar, marking the fifth straight week the process has been delayed.

The development was first reported by BoxingScene, which confirmed that both camps were granted additional time to continue negotiations instead of proceeding to auction.

The repeated extensions have stretched the situation beyond a month. Each time the purse bid date approaches, the IBF has chosen to grant more time rather than force the overdue mandatory to the market.

Bivol holds the WBA, IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles along with The Ring championship. The mandatory obligation followed his majority decision win over Artur Beterbiev in their February rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

That result allowed Bivol to avenge his lone defeat and regain the undisputed championship. Beterbiev had previously unified the division with a decision victory over Bivol in October 2024.

Germany’s Michael Eifert secured the IBF mandatory position in March 2023 with a victory over former lineal champion Jean Pascal. Since earning that spot, Eifert has fought only once while waiting for the title opportunity.

An attempt to place Eifert in an interim title bout produced no movement. The division stalled while the sanctioning bodies handled the Bivol–Beterbiev rematch and the obligations tied to that result.

The WBC later ordered Bivol to face interim champion David Benavidez ahead of the IBF rotation, prompting Bivol to vacate the WBC belt rather than pursue that fight. That decision returned the IBF mandatory to the front of the schedule.

The situation slowed again when Bivol underwent surgery to repair a long-standing herniated disc, which kept him out of action through the remainder of 2025.

Negotiations resumed after his recovery. The IBF has now granted another extension, leaving the overdue mandatory unresolved for at least another week.