The WBC will sanction Zhilei Zhang vs. Agit Kabayel for the interim heavyweight title, with Anthony Joshua eligible to fight the winner for the belt.
The WBC world heavyweight title is one of three belts, along with the WBA and WBO championships, that Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will fight for in their December 21 rematch. Sky Sports box office.
Zhang already held the WBO interim heavyweight title, which he lost to New Zealand’s Joseph Parker. But Zhang bounced back from that to beat former WBC world champion Deontay Wilder in June.
Cabayel is an impressive undefeated heavyweight who has stopped Frank Sanchez and Arslanbek Makhmudov in his last two fights.
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Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury star in epic trailer ahead of rematch
“The WBC has received a formal request to sanction such a fight for the interim title and the WBC will accept its sanction,” said the body’s president Mauricio Suleiman. Sky Sports.
“Why, because we’ve done everything we can over the last few years to get the ultimate, great fights in every weight class, especially the heavyweights.
“We have been very clear and transparent all this time that the WBC will not impose any mandatory conditions that are inconsistent with having the ultimate undisputed champion because they are fighting the best.
“There’s no better fight than Usyk-Fury. So when that fight happened, and then the future opportunities, we took Nos. 2 and 3 to fight for the interim title.
“Keep them active and keep the division going by putting on the best fights possible.”
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Watch Usyk vs Fury 2 live on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday 21 December.
Usyk defeated Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and was forced to vacate the IBF title to go ahead with his rematch with Fury on December 21, leaving Great Britain’s Daniel Dubois to take the vacant belt.
“There are a lot of options for the winner on Dec. 21. Why would anyone stand in the way of a third fight, or fight again (against Dubois) or any high-profile event, as long as we can take the champion and have a?” ) to fight for the interim title, with the winner being a high-profile sensational prospect.
“So we’re all for having undisputed champions.”
The winner of Zhang-Kabayel just won’t be in the frame to ultimately challenge the reigning WBC heavyweight champion.That interim title could also offer Anthony Joshua a route back to the world level.
Joshua, a former unified champion, was knocked out in September when he fought Dubois for the IBF belt.
But he is still ranked No. 6 by the WBC and is eligible to challenge the winner of Zhang-Cabayel for the WBC interim title.
“Absolutely,” Suleiman said. “It opens the door for more fights to follow.”
Don’t miss Usyk vs Fury II live on December 21st! Sky Sports box office
