Dmitry Bivol has had a number of potential opponents outlined ahead of making his long-awaited return to the ring.
The Russian is set to face mandatory challenger Michael Eifert on May 23 on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven, defending his IBF, WBO and WBA world titles at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza.
This represents Bivol’s first outing since February 2025, back when he exacted his revenge over Artur Beterviev to become the undisputed light-heavyweight king.
Since his majority decision victory, though, the accomplished technician has been forced to undergo and recover from back surgery, preventing him from facing David Benavidez last year.
As a result, the then-WBC mandatory challenger was elevated from ‘interim’ to full champion after Bivol had no choice but to relinquish his green and gold strap.
With Benavidez now gearing up to face unified world cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez on May 2, Bivol will instead defend his titles against Eifert, the IBF’s leading contender, later that month.
After that, Bivol should be in pole position for a far more meaningful opportunity, with his manager Vadim Kornilov revealing several options to boxing journalist Dan Rafael.
“Per Bivol manager [Kornilov] to me as it relates to what Dmitry would like: IBF mandatory Michael [Eifert] this spring (agreed to, ticketed for Usyk card May 23) then Beterbiev 3 [and] then either Canelo 2, Benavidez or a cruiserweight champion.”
A rubber match with Beterbiev seems a logical next step, given the close nature of their first two encounters.
As for a Canelo Alvarez rematch, it is difficult to see the Mexican exacting his revenge over Bivol, who scored a dominant unanimous decision victory in 2022.
Benavidez, meanwhile, could present the Russian with the opportunity to either become a two-time undisputed king or a two-division world champion, depending on how he fares against Ramirez.
