IBF Orders Bivol to Move Forward on Eifert Mandatory Defense

Michael Eifert has been waiting for three years for a title shot. Eifert became the IBF light heavyweight mandatory challenger in March 2023. Since then, his position has remained intact while the title picture above him stayed frozen. That delay was driven by timing, injuries, and sanctioning body allowances rather than anything Eifert did or failed to do.

The IBF has now ordered lineal and unified champion Dmitry Bivol to move forward with the mandatory defense. A similar order existed last year but was paused after Bivol was granted a medical exception following surgery to address a long-running back issue. That exemption has now expired.

Bivol is coming off a 2025 campaign that included a rematch win over Artur Beterbiev and subsequent surgery, a sequence that left his schedule frozen through the second half of the year. With no unification bout available at 175 pounds and no remaining exceptions, the IBF order now carries real weight.

Eifert’s claim to the position rests on a March 2023 eliminator win over Jean Pascal. Since then, he has fought once, recording a late-2024 victory over Carlos Eduardo Jimenez. Beyond that bout, his career has been shaped more by waiting than by opportunity, with discussions around interim options failing to produce a way forward.

Bivol’s options have narrowed further after relinquishing the WBC title when a consolidation bout was ordered with David Benavidez. That belt now sits elsewhere, leaving the IBF mandatory as the only outstanding obligation attached to Bivol’s reign.

According to BoxingScene, Bivol has acknowledged the mandatory and is working toward staging the fight in the spring. If terms are not agreed by the IBF’s deadline, the matter will move to a purse bid, reducing control over timing and location for both sides.

From Eifert’s perspective, the objective is limited and clear. Secure the fight. Mandatory status has protected his position for an unusually long time, but that protection does not extend indefinitely.

After three years of waiting, this is the clearest position Eifert has held.