Artur Beterbiev Ordered to Defend IBF Title Against Eifert

Artur Beterbiev must defend his IBF light-heavyweight title against mandatory challenger Michael Eifert a day after Dmitry Bivol requested an immediate rematch with the champion. Beterbiev, 39, secured his position as the first four-belt world champion in the light-heavyweight division by winning a split-decision victory over Bivol in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

The scorecards read 114-114, 115-113, and 116-112 in favor of Beterbiev prompting Bivol’s promoter Eddie Hearn and manager, Vadim Kornilov to publicly criticize the decisions. Meanwhile, Bivol, 33, formally requested support from the WBO, WBA, IBF and WBC for a rematch through his lawyer on Wednesday. However, the IBF has since ordered Beterbiev to negotiate with Eifert.

Notably, the IBF allows Artur Beterbiev to request an “exception” for a voluntary defense which they will consider. Although sanctioning bodies oversee title fights, they cannot alter the official results. The British Boxing Board of Control officiated Saturday’s event, consistent with most Saudi boxing matches in the past year.  Bivol’s loss marked the first defeat of his 24-fight career while Beterbiev faced the distance for the first time as a pro.

Despite this, both fighters expressed openness to a rematch. For a rematch to occur with all four titles on the line, the fighters will need the sanctioning bodies’ backing. This situation mirrors the scenario after Oleksandr Usyk’s victory over Tyson Fury where the IBF required Usyk to defend his title against a mandatory challenger.

Moreover, recent precedents show that champions sometimes receive exceptions to delay mandatory defenses as IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia received permission to fight outside the top 10.