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WBC Orders Usyk to Defend Heavyweight Title Against Interim Champ Agit Kabayel

Under WBC rules, Usyk may take one voluntary defense before he must face Kabayel or vacate the belt.

Overview

  • DAZN reported the WBC directive that sets Kabayel as Usyk’s mandated opponent following a single voluntary defense.
  • Agit Kabayel holds the WBC interim title and has been the recognized mandatory challenger for roughly a year.
  • Oleksandr Usyk currently owns the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight belts, creating scheduling obligations across multiple sanctioning bodies.
  • No date or venue has been announced for the mandated bout, and the identity of Usyk’s voluntary opponent remains unspecified.
  • Kabayel returned from an extended layoff with a January win over Damian Knyba in Oberhausen, and his team is pursuing a larger-stage fight.