Kabayel’s manager says Usyk’s team has shown little interest in the WBC-ordered mandatory defense as the champion prepares to reveal his next move
Oleksandr Usyk’s WBC mandatory defense against Agit Kabayel appears increasingly unlikely after Kabayel’s manager said the champion’s team has shown little interest in making the fight. The comments come with Usyk expected to announce his next career move in the coming days.
The WBC ordered Usyk to defend his heavyweight title against unbeaten German-Kurdish contender Agit Kabayel earlier this month, placing the fight at the front of the division. Negotiations, however, appear to have made little headway.
Speaking to Bild, Kabayel’s manager Lasse Krüger said contact between the two camps has produced no indication that Usyk wants to move ahead with the mandatory defense.
“There has been contact with Usyk and his people from time to time over the past weeks and months. But it doesn’t look like Usyk has any desire for a hard day’s work with Agit in the ring.”
Usyk’s team has already suggested an announcement on his future is imminent, adding further uncertainty to the WBC title picture.
“There is news I would like to share,” Usyk team director Sergey Lapin said this week. “But everything in its own time. The wait will soon be over.”
According to Bild, Lapin’s comments are unrelated to negotiations with Kabayel. The report says Usyk is weighing several options, including a possible move to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing venture in the United States, while retirement also remains under consideration.
The WBC’s next move could reshape the heavyweight division.
If Usyk declines to face Kabayel, the sanctioning body will decide how to proceed with its heavyweight championship. Kabayel, who earned mandatory status after stopping Zhilei Zhang earlier this year, has repeatedly called for the fight and publicly urged Usyk to either accept the defense or vacate the belt.
Usyk has taken that route before. Last year he vacated the IBF heavyweight title instead of fulfilling a mandatory obligation, choosing to complete his rematch with Tyson Fury. Daniel Dubois was subsequently elevated from interim to full IBF champion.
Whether the WBC follows a similar path now depends on the decision Usyk makes over the next few days. For Kabayel, the mandatory position is secure. The only unanswered question is whether the champion intends to defend it.
