IBF Orders Beterbiev to Face Eifert Next

Artur Beterbiev has been ordered by the IBF to defend his light-heavyweight title against mandatory challenger Michael Eifert, following his controversial split-decision victory over Dmitry Bivol in Saudi Arabia. Despite Bivol's request for an immediate rematch backed by his promoter Eddie Hearn, who criticized the scorecards, the IBF's mandate complicates the possibility of an immediate second fight. Bivol's camp has officially protested the decision, citing scoring discrepancies and drawing parallels to the 1999 Lewis-Holyfield fight, which led to a rematch. The fight's close nature saw Bivol slightly outlanding Beterbiev, although Beterbiev's strong finish convinced judges to rule in his favor. Prominent voices in the boxing community, including trainer Robert Garcia, have called for a rematch, noting the fight's technical nature and the narrow scoring margin. However, Beterbiev might first face other challengers like David Benavidez or Canelo Alvarez before any potential rematch with Bivol.