Kabayel vs Zhang full fight breakdown, tale of the tape, odds and prediction
Riyadh Season will host a historic night of boxing on February 22, featuring world champions from around the world and five fights for the prestigious Green and Gold WBC title. “The Last Crescendo” promises to be an unforgettable show, live on DAZN.
Headlining the event, Artur Beterbiev and Dimitry Bivol will face off for the undisputed light heavyweight championship in a highly anticipated rematch.
As part of the card, the interim WBC heavyweight title will be contested between China’s Zhilei Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KO), and Germany’s Agit Kabayel, who is (25-0, 17 KO).
Zhang was previously the interim WBO champion but lost to New Zealander Joseph Parker on March 2024. The 41-year-old southpaw bounced back to defeat former WBC world champion Deontay Wilder in his last fight in June last year.
Kabayel, 32 from Germany, has seen his stock rise over the past 12 months with shock wins over Arslanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Tale of the Tape
AGIY KABAYEL
WBC #1
Nationality: Germany
Date of Birth: September 23, 1992
Birthplace: Leverkusen, Germany
Resides: Bochum, Germany
Record: 25-0, 17KO
KO Ratio: 68%
Age: 32
Guard: Orthodox
Total rounds: 125
Titles: EBU, CONTINENTAL AMERICAS
Manager: Benedikt Poelchau
Promoter: Blanko Sports
ZHILEI ZHANG
WBC #2
Nationality: China
Date of Birth: May 2, 1983
Birthplace: Zhoukou, China
Resides in: Bloomfield, New Jersey
Alias: Big Bang
Record: 27-2-1, 22KO
KO Ratio: 81.5%
Age: 41
Guard: Southpaw
Total rounds: 110
World Title fights: 1 (0-1-0)
Management: Maopei LI
Promoter: Queensberry Promotions
Betting Odds
4/7 Kabayel
6/4 Zhang
16/1 Draw
Predictions
Agit Kabayel heads into his heavyweight bout with Chinese powerhouse Zhilei Zhang unbeaten after 25 fights and George Groves is backing the German to continue his impressive winning run.
Saint George previewed the heavyweight clash: “It feels like he’s [Kabayel] been around for a while.
“He’s been in the shadows, kind of in the background, hasn’t he? He’s got a win over Derek Chisora and a few others. That was a while back, wasn’t it? 2017, I think. Is that what it was? So, he’s not a huge, huge heavyweight, but he’s effective, he’s good.
“Because he’s in slightly better form, I’d pick him to beat Zhelei Zhang. But Zhang is such a monster, huge, hard hitting southpaw, it must be hard to find sparring to prepare for someone like that anything goes.
“It’s just the tank on Zhang isn’t it? I think if you can get him down the back straight, he just kind of runs out of steam, which is what Joseph Parker did to him, to be fair, so maybe he’ll be following a similar kind of tactic.”
WBC Top 10 Heavyweights
1. MUHAMMAD ALI (US)
2. MIKE TYSON (US)
3.LENNOX LEWIS (GB)
4. LARRY HOLMES (US)
5. EVANDER HOLYFIELD (US)
6. GEORGE FOREMAN (US)
7. JOE FRAZIER (US)
8. VITALY KLITSCHKO (UKRAINE)
9. SONNY LISTON (US)
10. KEN NORTON (US)