Oleksandr Usyk and Agit Kabayel have until June 30 to agree on a world title fight. After that, a purse bid is likely.
The pressure on Oleksandr Usyk and Agit Kabayel is mounting. The World Boxing Council has called on the camps of the WBC world champion and his official mandatory challenger to reach an agreement on the world title fight by June 30. If no contract is signed by then, the bout will be put up for a purse bid.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán confirmed that the organization has officially mandated the fight. “We have officially mandated the fight. If no agreement is reached, a purse bid is expected to take place on June 30,” Sulaimán told Betway. At the same time, he emphasized that they hope for a quick resolution so that the fight can take place soon.
For Kabayel, a bout against Usyk would be the biggest fight of his career. The undefeated fighter from Bochum is the WBC interim world champion and has earned his position through strong performances. Sulaimán made it clear that Usyk’s team has long been aware of this situation: “Usyk’s team has always known that Agit Kabayel is the mandatory challenger.”
Whether Usyk will actually accept the fight remains to be seen, however. The Ukrainian has relinquished titles in the past to pursue other options. If he were to give up the WBC belt as well, Kabayel could potentially be named the regular world champion. For now, however, the organization is still banking on the fight. The coming days are likely to determine whether Germany will host its next major heavyweight world championship bout.
Text by Robin Josten