Tyson Fury vs Agit Kabayel almost signed, sealed, delivered
'The Gypsy King' Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21KOs) is close to sealing his December 5 fight date with the German heavyweight Agit Kabayel (20-0, 13KOs) it was disclosed on Monday night by promoter Frank Warren.
Agit Kabayel, a former European heavyweight champion has 24 hours to sign the contract or Fury will “move on” according to Warren.
"He is the opponent, subject to the contract being signed," Warren told the Telegraph Sport.
It is understood the WBC heavyweight title holder's fight will go ahead at the Royal Albert Hall, in spite of the Government lockdown until December 2, due to the spike in coronavirus cases.
28-year-old Kabayel, who has been a sparring partner for Anthony Joshua, the other heavyweight title belt holder, is unbeaten in 20 bouts and was a long-term European heavyweight champion between February 2017 to just recently when he vacated the title to allow Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce contest it on November 28.
Fury had been scheduled to have a trilogy fight with former champion Deontay Wilder, against whom the contract has now expired, with Fury now planning to face Joshua next year in two fights to decide the undisputed heavyweight champion.
Fury and Joshua – who faces mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev in London on Dec 12 – must both come through their fights next month to set up what is expected to be the richest contest in British boxing history. Fury fought to a controversial draw against Wilder for the WBC crown in Los Angeles in December 2018, and in February this year in Las Vegas, stopped Wilder in the seventh round in a dominant performance to claim the WBC gong. Fury had won all the other heavyweight belts – WBO, IBF and WBA – in a points victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
Kabayel, based in Germany and of Kurdish descent, has on his record a victory over Derek Chisora three years ago by majority decision. Fury handed Chisora his first loss in 2011, on points, and stopped the Londoner in a second fight in the 10th round in 2014.
Warren explained: "We’re giving the guy we want to fight, Kabayel, 24 hours to sign the contract or we’re going to move on. He’s ranked by the WBC [at No 15]. We will wait for that period of time, but if he does not sign, we will move on."
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