With Oleksandr Usyk no longer the undisputed heavyweight champion, attention is turning toward the next chapter of his remarkable career. The Ukrainian star recently vacated his WBO title, resulting in Fabio Wardley being elevated from interim to full champion - but now another contender believes he’s the man who should be next in line.
Germany’s unbeaten Agit Kabayel says he is ready and willing to take on Usyk for the remaining belts. Speaking to Sky Sports, the 33-year-old made his intentions clear, arguing that he has both the form and the fan appeal to make the fight a major event. “I will stay humble but I think people say Kabayel is the best fight [for Usyk],” he said. “I think when I fight with the biggest name, we go in a stadium.”
Usyk turns 39 in January, yet he showed no signs of decline in his dominant win over Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium this past summer. Having already defeated Dubois, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua - each twice - the pool of fresh challengers is undeniably shrinking. Kabayel believes Usyk’s failure to call out his name after beating Dubois was simply a matter of timing, insisting, “Maybe after he says: ‘Let’s go Kabayel, I will fight with you.’”
Kabayel strengthened his case earlier this year with a standout victory over Zhilei Zhang in February, after which he declared himself ready for a world title shot. “The fans will say I’m ready for the world title shot, I’m ready!” he said. A win in his next outing would only add momentum. He returns to the ring on January 10 at the Rudolf Weber-Arena in Oberhausen, where he will defend his WBC Interim heavyweight belt against undefeated Polish contender Damian Knyba.
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