Bivol Is Back. Here’s Why That Matters
The last time Dmitry Bivol fought in a boxing ring, he was tasting sweet revenge.
In February 2025 , on a warm evening in Riyadh, Bivol went the distance with his nemesis Artur Beterbiev, the only man to ever hang a loss on his storied boxing career. When the judges’ decision came in, Bivol let out a cry of joy: He’d outpointed Beterbiev to become the new undisputed light heavyweight champion.
As Bivol soaked in the euphoria of the moment, he could have carried the boxing world on his shoulders if he’d wanted to. The problem was, his back was about to give out.
Literally. In August 2025, Bivol announced that he had undergone back surgery, ruling out any more bouts for the rest of the year.
The Fights That Could Have Been
What did fight fans miss when Bivol chose to go under the knife? For starters, 2025 could have ended with the epic conclusion to his trilogy with Beterbiev, a modern-day rivalry that was called “a truly global sporting historical event” by the president of the International Boxing Association.
Both fights between Bivol and Beterbiev went to the scorecards; both times, the decision was mired in controversy that led to divided opinions among analysts (and, in the case of the October 2024 fight, a formal protest filed by Bivol with all four major sanctioning bodies). In an alternate universe, the past holiday season could have given us the gift of a decisive winner in the third installment, once and for all.
Bivol vs. Beterbiev III would have been a wonderful feast in wintertime. But there was another highly anticipated bout that could have set off fireworks before New Year’s Eve.
For years, there have been rumblings of a marquee fight between Bivol and David Benavidez, the undefeated Mexican-American star who has established his dominance in three weight divisions. From the looks of it, Benavidez is intent on erasing all doubts that he’s the light heavyweight king, and he can do just that by taking Bivol’s undisputed crown.
Why would Benavidez go out of his way to mention that he once “hurt” Bivol during a sparring session? That, my friends, is called goading. On top of that, in an appearance on “The Porter Way Podcast” earlier this month, Benavidez said that he and his team are “already in talks” with Bivol’s camp to set up the fight.
Bivol is a Boost for His Division
Now that Bivol is making his in-ring comeback, we are a step closer to not one, but two box office attractions: his rubber match with Beterbiev and his first-ever encounter with Benavidez.
Selfishly, I would have wanted one of those dream bouts to have taken place already over the past year or so. Then again, Bivol has every right to attend to the back injury that has hounded him for no less than a decade. “It kept getting worse with each training camp,” the 35-year-old fighter wrote in an Instagram post.
Nine months removed from back surgery, Bivol is starting to look like his old explosive self. He’ll have to reach peak form sooner rather than later, as a young, hungry opponent is looking to make a name for himself this weekend.
Michael Eifert, a 28-year-old fighter from Germany, began his pro career in June 2018, just three months after Bivol defeated Sullivan Barrera at Madison Square Garden to go 13-0. When it comes to experience and international acclaim, the gap between Bivol and Eifert is massive.
But that’s the gift and the curse of boxing: All it takes is one punch to score an upset and begin a rise. Eifert, who packs a solid right hand, has five KO finishes that came within the first three rounds. If he is to have any hope against his opponent on Sunday (Manila time), Eifert will have to get busy and inflict damage early on.
That, of course, is easier said than done against one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world today. A fighter, by the way, who took time to revitalize his body and now stands on the precipice of another fantastic stretch in his career.
The next time Bivol fights in a boxing ring, he’ll be savoring a fresh start in his boxing journey. For a light heavyweight division that could use star power right now, his comeback is certainly appetizing.
Catch Bivol vs. Eifert this Sunday (Manila time) on the DAZN app. Main card begins at 12:00 am; ringwalk for the Bivol vs. Eifert main event is projected to start at 4:00 am.
Stay tuned to ALL-STAR for round-by-round coverage of the Bivol vs. Eifert fight.
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