That decision has been made due to the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, per a letter from the organization’s president Gustavo Olivieri, obtained by The Ring.

The WBO won’t strip Bivol though, and will recognize the contest as a non-title bout. The WBA and IBF titles will be on the line along with The Ring championship at 175 pounds from UMMC Arena in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) will be fighting for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back. The operation was performed in August and was followed by a six-week rehabilitation program.

Bivol, 35, lives in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He is The Ring’s No. 5 on its pound-for-pound list and last competed last February in Riyadh, when avenging defeat by Artur Beterbiev in a thrilling rematch to claim undisputed status.

In March 2022 at a press conference for his fight vs. Canelo Alvarez, Bivol called the conflict “really sad for me.”

"I have a lot of friends in Ukraine. I have a lot of friends in Russia. My family is in Russia. Every day I wake up and read the news and I hope it will stop."

Beterbiev defeated Bivol via controversial decision when they met in October 2024.

Eifert (13-1, 5 KOs) is the IBF’s mandatory challenger. The 28-year-old German scored his most notable win in March 2023 when he outpointed former champion Jean Pascal.

Bivol’s last fight in Russia was in December 2021, a successful title defense against Umar Salamov.