DUSSELDORF — WBC heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel is reportedly set for his first title defense on home soil, with multiple outlets reporting he will meet undefeated Nelson Hysa on Nov. 28 at Dusseldorf, Germany's 50,000-capacity Merkur Spiel-Arena.
Hysa (25-0, 23 KO) turned professional in 2022 at age 37 and has campaigned across Europe as part of the Queensberry stable, most recently stopping Thomas Narmo on last month's Itauma-Hrgovic show with a right cross. Kabayel (27-0, 19 KO) has not fought since stopping Damian Knyba in January. After Hysa confronted Kabayel following the Narmo victory, promoter Frank Warren alleged that "The Albanian Eagle" pulled out of the planned contest at the eleventh hour before ultimately accepting the title opportunity.
Hysa will receive the shot despite appearing nowhere in the WBC's rankings, according to the reports. The most charitable reading of the matchup is as a keep-busy defense while Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley settle their differences next month, a result that could pave the way for an electric heavyweight title unification.
The Dusseldorf booking is also viewed as a test of Kabayel's star power in Germany, which has hosted big-money heavyweight tussles but not at this scale since the Klitschkos retired. The report follows Nelson Hysa's ultimatum to the WBC champion earlier this month.