Kurdish-German Boxer Agit Kabayel Closes in on World Heavyweight Title

A Kurdish boxer from Bochum is one fight away from becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Agit Kabayel has not lost a professional fight. His record stands at 27-0 with 19 knockouts. He holds the WBC interim heavyweight title. And the World Boxing Council has ordered unified champion Oleksandr Usyk to fight him next.

Six Knockouts in a Row

Between December 2023 and January 2026, Kabayel stopped six consecutive opponents, four of whom were previously unbeaten:

Arslanbek Makhmudov (TKO, round 4, December 2023)
Frank Sanchez (KO, round 7, May 2024)
Zhilei Zhang (KO, round 6, February 2025)
Damian Knyba (TKO, round 3, January 2026)

After beating Knyba, the crowd in Oberhausen chanted "Usyk! Usyk!" Kabayel's response: "I wait so long for this title shot. Give me the world title fight, I am ready."

The WBC Orders the Fight

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has insisted that Usyk must defend against Kabayel after his voluntary defence against Rico Verhoeven on May 23 in Egypt.

But Usyk has publicly listed his preferred opponents for his final fights: Verhoeven, the winner of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois, and Tyson Fury. Kabayel was not on the list.

Usyk acknowledged Kabayel: "Maybe it's possible I fight Agit. He's a great fighter, and he's very smart." But he also said: "I don't have to fight him."

Kabayel's promoter Frank Warren has threatened legal action against the WBC if the mandatory fight is not enforced. Manager Spencer Brown put the argument plainly: "If he fights Usyk, that is Usyk's kryptonite."

What is a Mandatory Challenger in Boxing?

In professional boxing, each major sanctioning body (WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO) designates a mandatory challenger, the top-ranked contender who has earned the right to fight the champion. The champion can request one "voluntary" defense, but after that, they must face the mandatory challenger or risk being stripped of the title. The WBC interim champion automatically becomes the mandatory challenger. That is Kabayel's position.

A Kurdish Champion

Kabayel was born in 1992 in Leverkusen, Germany. His parents come from Pazarcik in Maras province, Bakur (Northern Kurdistan). He grew up in Bochum.

He has never hidden his Kurdish identity. During his meeting with President Barzani in April 2025, Kabayel presented his championship belt. "I gave him my WBC belt and told him, 'You fight for Kurdistan outside the ring; I fight inside the ring,'" Kabayel recalled.

His friendship with Kurdish-Yazidi footballer Deniz Undav has created one of the most visible Kurdish partnerships in European sports. They co-hosted a podcast together, and their combined fanbase has been dubbed "the Kurdish Lions of Germany."

Why This Fight Matters for Kurds

A Kabayel vs. Usyk fight would be the biggest sporting event involving a Kurdish athlete in history. Heavyweight world title fights attract tens of millions of viewers globally. If Kabayel wins, he becomes the first Kurdish undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

As he told DAZN after his last fight: "Why are we making boxing so political? I'm the mandatory, give me the Usyk fight."