Due to the venue, the WBO does not recognize Dmitry Bivol vs. Michael Eifert as a title fight. Nevertheless, it remains a mega opportunity for the German.
A belt will be missing from the title fight between Dmitry Bivol and Michael Eifert on May 30 in Yekaterinburg. The WBO light heavyweight title is not at stake. According to a letter from WBO President Gustavo Olivieri, the reason for this is the ongoing war in Ukraine and the decision to hold the fight in Russia.
However, Bivol will not lose the WBO title. The association merely does not recognize the duel as a WBO title fight. Nevertheless, the evening remains huge for Eifert: the WBA and IBF titles as well as the Ring Magazine Championship are still at stake. For the German, it is the long-awaited must-win opportunity with the IBF. Eifert had already put himself in position in 2023 with his points victory over former world champion Jean Pascal and has had to wait a long time for the world championship fight since then.
Bivol is returning after back surgery and is contesting his first fight since his revenge victory against Artur Beterbiev. The Russian remains the clear favorite in sporting terms, but Eifert has the chance to land one of the biggest German boxing coups of recent years in Russia.
Text by Robin Josten