‘I broke him’ – Agit Kabayel Stuns Zhilei Zhang with Brutal Body Shot to Claim WBC Interim Heavyweight Title

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Kurdish German heavyweight Agit Kabayel delivered a stunning knockout victory over Zhilei Zhang, stopping the Chinese powerhouse with a devastating liver shot in the sixth round to claim the WBC interim heavyweight title.

The victory not only preserved Kabayel’s undefeated record (26-0) but also positioned him as the top contender for the WBC, WBA, and WBO heavyweight championships, currently held by Oleksandr Usyk.

Tactical Masterclass Leads to Knockout

Kabayel, undeterred by Zhang’s early power punches, focused his attacks on the body from the second round, disrupting Zhang’s rhythm and forcing the 41-year-old to slow down.

By the fourth round, Zhang was visibly struggling for air, and although he managed to score a knockdown in the fifth, Kabayel quickly recovered. Following his trainer’s instructions, the Kurdish German boxer patiently waited for his moment before delivering a vicious body shot in the sixth round that left Zhang gasping for breath and unable to continue.

Kabayel’s Road to a World Title Shot

Following the fight, Kabayel expressed confidence in his game plan and that his strikes strategically targeted Zhang’s body.

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"Every training session, we go to the body, go to the head," Kabayel said.

"My coach told me that after the fifth round, he would have no conditioning left – and you saw, I broke him."

The victory propels Kabayel into title contention, with the WBO likely to mandate a fight against Usyk. Given the sanctioning body rotation system, Kabayel’s shot at a world title could come sooner rather than later, depending on the next moves of Usyk and the boxing governing bodies.

From Overlooked Contender to Heavyweight Threat

Kabayel’s rise marks a remarkable turnaround for a fighter who once struggled to secure big fights. His career stagnated during his reign as European heavyweight champion in the late 2010s and early 2020s, but he has since benefited from Saudi Arabia’s investment in boxing. Under the Riyadh Season banner, Kabayel has delivered back-to-back stoppage victories over Arslanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez, earning the attention of Saudi boxing chief Turki al-sheikh and securing a path to a world title.

Zhang Slips in Heavyweight Rankings

Before the fight, Zhang was ranked No.4 by Ring Magazine, just one spot ahead of Kabayel. However, with this loss, Zhang (27-3-1) is expected to drop in the rankings, while Kabayel moves closer to the top of boxing’s glamour division.

Joseph Parker, IBF champion Daniel Dubois, and the seemingly retired Tyson Fury remain ahead of him, while Usyk continues to reign as the lineal heavyweight king.

With his unbeaten record intact and a dominant performance against Zhang, Agit Kabayel has firmly established himself as a legitimate threat in the heavyweight division, with a world title fight now within reach.