Agit Kabayel vs Damian Knyba Set for Jan 10 in Oberhausen — WBC Interim Title on the Line

Oberhausen, Germany - The wait for Agit Kabayel’s next move is over. After weeks of knowing only the date and venue, the undefeated German heavyweight now has an official challenger: towering Polish contender Damian Knyba, who steps into the fire on January 10 at the Rudolf Weber Arena. The event streams worldwide on DAZN, marking Kabayel’s first home defense of the WBC interim title.

Kabayel’s Moment

Kabayel 26-0 (18 KOs), 33, has looked unstoppable over the past 18 months. He shredded three previously unbeaten opponents — Arslanbek Makhmudov, Frank Sánchez, and Zhilei Zhang — all by TKO via crushing body work. The victory over Zhang in Riyadh crowned him interim champion and pushed him up the rankings just behind champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Calm, compact, and ruthless, Kabayel breaks bigger men down with precision rather than explosiveness. He’s built a reputation for methodical pressure — a style that forces opponents to fight his fight. Now he returns to German soil for what promises to be a celebratory yet dangerous night.

The Challenger’s Leap

For Knyba (17-0, 11 KOs), this is a career-defining leap. At 6′8″ (203 cm) with an 86″ reach, the Polish native trained in northern New Jersey represents a literal and figurative tall order for Kabayel. The 29-year-old prospect has won three times in 2025, all by knockout, including an October 18 stoppage of Joey Dawejko (28-14-4) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. That fight showed his evolving composure and finishing instincts under trainer Shaun George, a former light heavyweight and chief second to Zhilei Zhang — ironically the man Kabayel just dethroned.

Knyba has been brought along carefully by Top Rank and enters this assignment as a long shot but not without intrigue: he’s young, fresh, and owns the kind of physical dimensions that can cause chaos if his jab and timing click early.

Styles Make Fights

• Kabayel: Pressure technician who targets the midsection with surgical precision; rarely wastes a punch; works behind a tight guard.
• Knyba: Long boxer-puncher still honing his range and balance; effective one-two and uppercut when he has room to operate.

The contrast is stark. Kabayel will look to shrink the ring and make it a fight inside the Polish giant’s chest, while Knyba must use every inch of his reach and lean on well-timed clinches to avoid the German’s body assault.

Homecoming and High Stakes

For Kabayel, Oberhausen represents not just a title defense but a statement. With the Usyk–Fury undisputed saga still in motion, the winner on January 10 could find himself in prime position for a mandatory call or a major Saudi showcase next spring. Knyba, meanwhile, gets the kind of stage fighters dream of — a chance to shock the division and rewrite the heavyweight map.