The future of the undisputed heavyweight division is taking shape, with Turki AlalshikhCoach·Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, outlining the potential path for Oleksandr UsykPlayer·Oleksandr Usyk. Alalshikh has stated that Agit KabayelPlayer·Agit Kabayel is a strong candidate to be Usyk's next opponent, while also acknowledging the possibility of a rematch with Rico VerhoevenPlayer·Rico Verhoeven.
Agit KabayelPlayer·Agit Kabayel, the undefeated German-Kurdish boxer, holds an impressive professional record of 27 wins, 0 losses, and 0 draws, with 19 victories coming by knockout. He secured the interim WBCCompetition·WBC heavyweight title on February 22, 2025, by defeating Zhilei ZhangPlayer·Zhilei Zhang via knockout in the sixth round. Kabayel successfully defended this interim title on January 10, 2026, against Damian KnibaPlayer·Damian Kniba, winning by technical knockout in the third round. His consistent performances have positioned him as the mandatory challenger for the WBCCompetition·WBC title, a belt currently held by Usyk.
Oleksandr UsykPlayer·Oleksandr Usyk, the reigning undisputed world heavyweight champion, maintains an unblemished record of 25 wins, 0 losses, and 0 draws, with 16 knockouts. He currently holds the WBCCompetition·WBC, WBACompetition·WBA, IBFCompetition·IBF, and The RingCompetition·The Ring titles. Usyk's most recent bout on May 23, 2026, saw him defeat kickboxing icon Rico VerhoevenPlayer·Rico Verhoeven by technical knockout in the 11th round in GizaVenue·Giza, Egypt. This contest, a voluntary defense, officially put only Usyk's WBCCompetition·WBC title on the line, though he retains his WBACompetition·WBA and IBFCompetition·IBF belts. The fight against Verhoeven was notably challenging and, according to some judges, was scored as even or in Verhoeven's favor before the stoppage, sparking discussions about a potential rematch. Prior to this, Usyk had secured a fifth-round knockout victory over Daniel DuboisPlayer·Daniel Dubois on July 19, 2025, at Wembley StadiumVenue·Wembley Stadium in the United Kingdom, defending his IBFCompetition·IBF, The RingCompetition·The Ring, WBCCompetition·WBC, and WBOCompetition·WBO heavyweight titles.
The WBCCompetition·WBC is next in the rotation for mandatory title defenses among the sanctioning bodies, preceding the IBFCompetition·IBF and WBACompetition·WBA. This places Kabayel in a prime position to challenge Usyk. However, Usyk has a history of vacating titles when mandatory defenses conflict with more lucrative fight opportunities, having done so twice previously as an undisputed champion. Kabayel has publicly asserted his claim, stating that Usyk "must fight me or vacate the title."
Turki AlalshikhCoach·Turki Alalshikh has expressed his intent to discuss a potential Usyk-Kabayel fight in Germany later in 2026. Beyond this immediate challenge, Alalshikh has also hinted at further significant events for Usyk, including a major bout in Istanbul near Hagia SophiaVenue·Hagia Sophia in 2027. The coming months will reveal whether Usyk faces his mandatory challenger or opts for another path in his illustrious career.
Agit Kabayel with Areen Masrour Barzani at a boxing event in Oberhausen, Germany. Moritz Müller/IMAGO
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