“Yes, this is what I want. Maybe in three, four months we can fight the title defense. We will see who. Definitely. After that we show. For me, the belt, this is a legacy, and I’m very thankful for this. But I like the sport competition,” said Kabayel to Queensberry.
The 33-year-old made it clear that winning the title has not changed his mindset. Instead of talking about protecting the championship, Kabayel said he welcomes the challenge of being the man every heavyweight now wants to beat.
“Right now, I can fight everyone. Everyone will be hunting me. This is nice,” said Agit.
When asked if he now feels like he has become the target in the heavyweight division, Kabayel showed the same confidence that has defined his rise through the rankings.
“No problem. I’m comfortable with this, promise. No problem. Everyone we can fight. No problem. I’m ready. Send me location.”
Kabayel was elevated from interim champion to full WBC heavyweight champion on June 27th, making him Germany’s first heavyweight world champion in more than nine decades and the first Kurdish heavyweight champion. His unbeaten run includes victories over Arslanbek Makhmudov, Frank Sanchez, Zhilei Zhang and most recently Damian Knyba, wins that established him as one of the division’s leading contenders before receiving full championship status.
If Kabayel’s preferred timetable holds, his first WBC title defense could take place before the end of the year as the heavyweight division continues to sort out its next round of championship fights.
