The IBF has ordered undisputed lightweight champion Artur Beterbiev to defend against his successor Michael Eifert (13-1, 5 KOs) of Germany next.
This move by the International Boxing Federation could potentially get in the way of a rematch between Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) and Dmitry Bivol. If Beterbiev chooses to retain his undisputed four-belt championship, he will have to defend it after the 26-year-old Eifert.
Keith Idec reports that the IBF ordered the Beterbiev vs. Eifert fight. The move by the IBF will not make Team Bivol happy because they asked the four sanctioning bodies on Wednesday to have an immediate rematch with Beterbiev, arguing that many viewers saw Dmitry as the winner of their fight on Saturday on the evening of October 12.
This is not a fight the fans want to see. Eifert is unknown to most fans, and there would be little interest in a matchup between him and Beterbiev.
It is unknown if Beterbiev will vacate his IBF title or keep it or give Eifert a pay to walk away from Artur’s rematch with Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs).
The best win of Eifert’s career came against 40-year-old Jean Pascal, winning a 12-round unanimous decision last year on March 16, 2023. Former WBA and WBC lightweight champion Pascal he was nowhere near the top of his game in that fight.
The IBF obviously gave Eifert his mandatory spot based on his win over Pascal, but that win was no big deal due to his advanced age. It would have made more sense for the IBF to order a fight between Eifert and Anthony Yarde for a title eliminator instead of having Pascal as the guy.
In 2020, Eifert suffered his only career loss, losing to Tom Dzemski by an eight-round majority decision. A year later, Eifert avenged the loss, beating Dzemski by a 10-round majority decision.
Last updated on 10/17/2024
