WBC: Oleksandr Usyk Must Face Agit Kabayel or Vacate

Mandatory pressure closes as Usyk faces Agit Kabayel next or vacates a belt

Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed reign has entered mandatory territory after the WBC confirmed he must face interim belt holder Agit Kabayel next or surrender its title.

Usyk holds the Ring, IBF, WBA, and WBC heavyweight belts, yet the ruling draws a clear line on his next steps. A voluntary defense comes first. Once the voluntary is out of the way, the interim champion gets his shot or the belt is stripped from the line.

“Kabayel was not available because he had a fight scheduled in January,” Sulaiman told Chris Mannix. “So Usyk requested a voluntary title defense which is very customary. He was given that opportunity and he must fight the interim champion next. That’s the ruling.”

Kabayel has held the interim belt since stopping Zhilei Zhang in the sixth round last year, a result that placed him firmly among the leading heavyweights even without the status of a full championship. He stayed active while waiting, knocking out Damian Knyba in three rounds on January 10.  The German has done what interim holders are supposed to do. Win clean and stay available.

The timeline sharpens once the voluntary is complete. “He must fight the interim champion next,” Sulaiman said, drawing a clean line.

Kabayel is a hard body puncher, and that investment downstairs has the kind of effect that can trouble Oleksandr Usyk over long rounds.

Once the voluntary clears, the instruction is direct: Kabayel or vacate. The order protects contender movement and prevents the belts from freezing while the division lines up behind one champion.