Oleksandr Usyk vs. Agit Kabayel - Who wins?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Joshua: Usyk-Verhoeven rematch should come before Kabayel defense

Anthony Joshua was originally slated to face kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.

Instead, the two-time unified heavyweight champion focused on his mental and physical health after surviving a car crash which killed two of his closest friends in December.

His teammate, Oleksandr Usyk, got the assignment instead and it was anything but easy.

Usyk-Verhoeven was originally thought to be more of a spectacle than a spirited slugfest, but the Dutch kickboxing icon exceeded expectations in pushing Usyk to the brink of a career-first professional defeat.

The Ukrainian rallied late and scored a controversial 11th-round stoppage win on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. In the aftermath, the Ring and unified champion has been ordered to face WBC interim titlist Agit Kabayel while a Verhoeven rematch appears likely. Some close to him meanwhile, have urged the two-division king to retire.

Joshua though, is advising his former foe to pursue the sequel.

"As a fight fan, respectfully, not as a fight historian, I want to see Rico versus Usyk again." Joshua told The Ring's CEO, Rick Reeno, on the "Mr. Verzace Podcast."

"Usyk-Kabayel is still a massive fight. I like the way Kabayel is calling him out, but from a pure fan point of view, I think the rematch would just be amazing. Which one generates more money? I think the Rico rematch because of the attention on that fight. Rico is a big player in kickboxing and announced himself in the heavyweight division.

"If I am putting on my historian and legacy hat, 100 percent Kabayel is the fight. But you know how big rematches are, they got a storyline and history ... Usyk was apparently losing on the scorecards. We're already building on foundations that have been cemented."

Verhoeven was up 96-94 on one scorecard and even, 95-95, on the other two at the time of the questionable stoppage, coming with a second left in the round as the challenger defended himself seconds after being floored.

"We need to let Oleksandr enjoy his victory because the referee did what he was supposed to do, and that was either let the fight continue or stop it, and he decided to stop it. That's his job," Joshua said.

"I think Usyk would have done what was needed to remain champion. He just has it in him. He knows how to turn the heat up in the later rounds where most heavyweights will fade, and that's what he did with Rico.

“I think if they rematch, it'll work in Usyk's favor because he's got that data. But Rico did well. He did his thing and surprised me. A man who dared to be great, the odds were stacked against him. When you're not expected to do much, but do more than what's expected of you, it's a moral victory and I believe he gained a lot of support."

[KiwiRider]

Joshua towing the line again.

[stujones]

Having now seen the fight with Rico - I really do not know what was off with Usyk, but something definitely wasn't right there. Age? Extra weight? Just took Rico lightly? At times I felt like he was pulling his punches and his handspeed was way off. He looked like a fighter who wasn't really interested and felt he could win at any time. In some ways remeniscent of Floyd vs Connor - but maybe certainly without the control that Mayweather had at the mid point.

Maybe the team were misjuding and thought he was ahead? It was a hell of a lot closer than some of the scorecards and Usyk was winning his rounds "better" than Rico was winning his. There just didn't seem to be any urgency.

Get off the weights Usyk, and get back to working your assests which was speed.

I still think Usyk will beat Kabayel, but would now need to look at that fight before I make a call vs Itauma.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Having now seen the fight with Rico - I really do not know what was off with Usyk, but something definitely wasn't right there. Age? Extra weight? Just took Rico lightly? At times I felt like he was pulling his punches and his handspeed was way off. He looked like a fighter who wasn't really interested and felt he could win at any time. In some ways remeniscent of Floyd vs Connor - but maybe certainly without the control that Mayweather had at the mid point.

Maybe it was down to also fighting a non-boxer.

they sometimes will surprise you. Don't know what you're gonna get. Unorthodox styles.

I do feel he may have come in too heavy.. But his movements weren't bad.

[stujones]

Having now seen the fight with Rico - I really do not know what was off with Usyk, but something definitely wasn't right there. Age? Extra weight? Just took Rico lightly? At times I felt like he was pulling his punches and his handspeed was way off. He looked like a fighter who wasn't really interested and felt he could win at any time. In some ways remeniscent of Floyd vs Connor - but maybe certainly without the control that Mayweather had at the mid point.

Maybe it was down to also fighting a non-boxer.

they sometimes will surprise you. Don't know what you're gonna get. Unorthodox styles.

I do feel he may have come in too heavy.. But his movements weren't bad.

I agree I thought actually his legs didn't look bad. He's never been someone with like Sugar Ray Leonard type reflexes type defense. His' defensive genius is always more subtle than that and given how he marks up after fights - fighters don't hit thin air, but he blocks, rides and makes fighters hit less vulnerable areas well.

It was his offense that was more surprising for me. He looked like he was pulling his punches, or punching through butter at times. The snap compared to the Fury / Dubous fights wasn't there. Was the weight slowing his handspeed down, was it age or was he just doing it delibrately thinking Rico would gas (as Floyd did for Connor beautifully). He didn't seem to be fighting like a guy who was 6 minutes away from losing his title at the start of the 11th - I do wonder if he thought he was well up. To be honest, I have never seen Usyk close to losing before (despite what the judges said re the Fury fights) - so not sure how he would normally react if it was a close thing (as this fight was).

Usyk often seems to just do "enough" to win as is usually the master of timing etc - he didn't really get out of 3rd gear and waited till Bellew gassed in their fight, likewise vs Chisora despite some rediculous cards - he didn't seem interested in stepping it up to force a stoppage but was in control. I wonder if he thought the same this time. For me - I don't doubt he would have pulled away to be a confortable(ish) points winner. I had Usyk up by 2 going into the last - which I am sure he would have won (dead level going into the 11th which Usyk won by 2 points). His punches seemed to have little authority and looked like he was pulling them at times.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Oleksandr Usyk vs Agit Kabayel purse bid date set and rapidly approaching

Oleksandr Usyk and Agit Kabayel might be fighting next, after the bout was finally, officially ordered by the WBC.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman says that the two have until June 30 to come to an agreement for a fight, after which it will go to purse bid. So not too long now. They have until then to hammer out a deal without purse bids.

“We’re just waiting for them to negotiate and hopefully the fight will happen as soon as possible, and we continue with this great run in heavyweight boxing,” Sulaiman told Betway. “[Team Usyk] have always known that the mandatory was the one that they requested at the convention. I have not had any communications after we ordered the fight. But it’s exciting. There are many, many great fights that can be happening.”

This does not mean the fight will actually happen. Usyk (25-0, 16 KO) has proven willing to give up title belts in order to go after bigger money fights with someone else. He’s done it once with the IBF title in 2024 and once with the WBO title this year. Both times, Daniel Dubois wound up winning the vacated belt.

Kabayel (27-0, 19 KO) won the interim WBC title in February 2025, beating Zhilei Zhang via sixth round knockout. He defended successfully on January 10 in Germany, stopping Damian Knyba in the third round in front of what may have been the best, loudest boxing crowd of the year in Oberhausen, Germany.

Money man Turki Alalshikh — who would probably win an Usyk vs Kabayel purse bid, either directly or through a middle man “promoter” — seemed to prefer doing Usyk vs Kabayel next, following Usyk’s win over Rico Verhoeven in Egypt, but there has also been a push for a Verhoeven rematch. If a rematch with Rico is significantly more money or Usyk just feels like “setting the record straight” with that matchup, he could give up the WBC title, which would be interesting because the WBC were the most supportive sanctioning body with the Usyk vs Rico fight, giving their sanction without any hemming and hawing.

The WBA eventually sanctioned the fight for their title, too, but the IBF did not. The IBF could also decide to strip Usyk, in theory, if he were to chase a Rico rematch, as they have made their stance clear. Whether the WBC would actually go through with making Usyk defend against Kabayel or vacate — which would likely see Kabayel “elevated” from interim to full titleholder status — also remains to be seen, because Sulaiman and the organization like to stay pretty fluid with these various situations, but they also may have been too direct in this case to keep Kabayel at bay any longer.

[KiwiRider]

I don't think Uysk wants this fight.
Can't blame him, but it would be polite to stop holding the belts ransom

[tiny_acres]

I don't think Uysk wants this fight.
Can't blame him, but it would be polite to stop holding the belts ransom

Usyk at this point should vacate all of the belts minus the Ring belt. Just say Hey I'm bigger than the alphabet groups and will fight the remainder of my fights without paying their ransom sanction fees. I'll fight who I want and when I want.

At least I can respect that and not holding the belts ransom.
Let the alphabet boys stage some tournaments for the belts. Then we have a successor to the title when Usyk calls it quit

[KiwiRider]

I don't think Uysk wants this fight.
Can't blame him, but it would be polite to stop holding the belts ransom

Usyk at this point should vacate all of the belts minus the Ring belt. Just say Hey I'm bigger than the alphabet groups and will fight the remainder of my fights without paying their ransom sanction fees. I'll fight who I want and when I want.

At least I can respect that and not holding the belts ransom.
Let the alphabet boys stage some tournaments for the belts. Then we have a successor to the title when Usyk calls it quit

I really like that idea.
Only problem is the Ring belt comes with Saudi money and all these loafers waiting for the big payday will probably wait for that. But Uysk is definitely stalling the division through his lack of contender defences, and the greed of those contenders and their teams waiting on the payday

[2468166]

Usyk at this point should vacate all of the belts minus the Ring belt. Just say Hey I'm bigger than the alphabet groups and will fight the remainder of my fights without paying their ransom sanction fees. I'll fight who I want and when I want.

Excellent post

[Ruthless-RKO]

Deadline looms for Oleksandr Usyk and Agit Kabayel to reach fight agreement

The June 30 deadline set by the WBC for the teams behind heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel to reach an agreement for a fight is quickly approaching.

If signed contracts are not produced through negotiation by then, the contest between Ukraine’s Usyk, 25-0 (16 KOs), and Germany’s Kabayel, 27-0 (19 KOs), would go to purse bids.

In May, following Usyk's harder-than-expected victory over Rico Verhoeven, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman was adamant that Usyk-Kabayel must happen in 2026.

”Agit is the WBC interim champion and mandatory contender for Oleksandr Usyk," he said. "He has earned his stripes. He took part in that heavyweight extravaganza three years ago in Saudi Arabia, and defeated everyone… The fight between Agit and Oleksandr has to happen this year.”

Turki Alalshikh has also stated his desire to next see Usyk face Kabayel, ideally in a stadium in Germany.

Should Usyk, who's also the WBA and IBF heavyweight champion, decide against fighting Kabayel he would have to vacate or faced being stripped of his belt. Kabayel, as interim beltholder, would either be elevated to champion or fight for the vacant title.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Usyk’s team finally speaks out on Agit Kabayel fight as deadline nears: “It’s nothing personal”

A heavyweight showdown between Oleksandr Usyk and Agit Kabayel has been craved by fans for quite some time.

Usyk is currently weighing up his next move after his battle with kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven last month, which resulted in an 11th round TKO win for the Ukrainian after a lot closer contest than everybody imagined.

It means that there has been some clamour for a rematch between the pair, but many fans also want to see the long-awaited clash between Usyk and WBC mandatory challenger Kabayel.

There appears to be many hurdles still to overcome though if a Kabayel clash is set to take place, after Usyk’s team director Serge Lapin told Snabbare a serious offer must be made in order to convince Usyk to take the fight.

“Agit Kabayel is an excellent fighter, a worthy champion and a man we respect. There is nothing personal here. But fights of this magnitude are not made through social media or public pressure.

“Oleksandr has spent his entire career proving who he is. At this stage, the question is no longer what Usyk owes anyone. The question is what kind of event can be built?

“A serious offer, backed by serious people, the right commercial structure, broadcasters and site fee support, is how the biggest fights in the world are made.

“If the numbers and the opportunity make sense for everyone, then everything is possible. We are open to serious business, not noise.”

Lapin went on further to state how they are already speaking to other parties about potential fights if the Kabayel bout doesn’t materialise.

“Nothing personal and nothing emotional will prevent this fight from happening with Agit. But if there is no serious commercial structure behind the fight, then it becomes difficult to justify.

“If the right opportunity presents itself, the fight can happen. If not, there are other paths and other major opportunities available.

“Oleksandr has earned the right to carefully evaluate every option. We are speaking with different parties and considering all opportunities. A decision will be made by the end of this week, and everyone will know where we stand. Clarity is coming very soon.

“But one thing people should remember: when a fighter has achieved everything Oleksandr has achieved, every appearance becomes special. It is possible that fans have already seen him in the ring for the last time. Or maybe there is still one more chapter left. We will know very soon.”

If Usyk does indeed choose to face somebody other than Kabayel, he would be stripped of his WBC title as a result, with Kabayel then being elevated from interim status to full champion.

[tiny_acres]

I don't think Uysk wants this fight.
Can't blame him, but it would be polite to stop holding the belts ransom

Usyk at this point should vacate all of the belts minus the Ring belt. Just say Hey I'm bigger than the alphabet groups and will fight the remainder of my fights without paying their ransom sanction fees. I'll fight who I want and when I want.

At least I can respect that and not holding the belts ransom.
Let the alphabet boys stage some tournaments for the belts. Then we have a successor to the title when Usyk calls it quit

Hey my wish came true. Now let's get the belts filled and find his successor

[gilgamesh]

I don't think Uysk wants this fight.
Can't blame him, but it would be polite to stop holding the belts ransom

Usyk at this point should vacate all of the belts minus the Ring belt. Just say Hey I'm bigger than the alphabet groups and will fight the remainder of my fights without paying their ransom sanction fees. I'll fight who I want and when I want.

At least I can respect that and not holding the belts ransom.
Let the alphabet boys stage some tournaments for the belts. Then we have a successor to the title when Usyk calls it quit

Hey my wish came true. Now let's get the belts filled and find his successor

We may wind up seeing another Mike Tyson vs Michael Spinks type situation develop where somebody has 3 or 4 of the belts, and has kinda become the new face of the division while some other guy having beaten Usyk is the True Lineal Champion.

Or Usyk will become one of the very, very few to retire as Champion.

I suspect it'll be the former. Depends on who he chooses for his final bout though.

[tiny_acres]

Usyk at this point should vacate all of the belts minus the Ring belt. Just say Hey I'm bigger than the alphabet groups and will fight the remainder of my fights without paying their ransom sanction fees. I'll fight who I want and when I want.

At least I can respect that and not holding the belts ransom.
Let the alphabet boys stage some tournaments for the belts. Then we have a successor to the title when Usyk calls it quit

Hey my wish came true. Now let's get the belts filled and find his successor

We may wind up seeing another Mike Tyson vs Michael Spinks type situation develop where somebody has 3 or 4 of the belts, and has kinda become the new face of the division while some other guy having beaten Usyk is the True Lineal Champion.

Or Usyk will become one of the very, very few to retire as Champion.

I suspect it'll be the former. Depends on who he chooses for his final bout though.

I have seen rumors that Ryad wants Usyk vs Jalolov in November.
I have no idea who Usyk will fight just hope it is not another rematch

[gilgamesh]

Jalolov would be a really out of left field choice, but then again so was Rico Verhoeven.

[Finkel]

I don't think Uysk wants this fight.
Can't blame him, but it would be polite to stop holding the belts ransom

Usyk at this point should vacate all of the belts minus the Ring belt. Just say Hey I'm bigger than the alphabet groups and will fight the remainder of my fights without paying their ransom sanction fees. I'll fight who I want and when I want.

At least I can respect that and not holding the belts ransom.
Let the alphabet boys stage some tournaments for the belts. Then we have a successor to the title when Usyk calls it quit

Hey my wish came true. Now let's get the belts filled and find his successor

Sadly, I suspect his successor will be crowned by Zuffa boxing. Things are about to get messy