The German heavyweight enters the fight as The Ring’s No. 2-ranked contender and the WBC interim titleholder, carrying the strongest run of his career. Wins over Arslanbek Makhmudov, Frank Sanchez, and Zhilei Zhang did not come through caution or distance. Kabayel broke them down. He went to the body early, stayed there, and forced bigger men to slow under sustained pressure. Zhang was not stopped by a single moment. He was drained, piece by piece, until the fight belonged to Kabayel.
That pattern matters. Kabayel is not a heavyweight who wins by surviving rounds or waiting on mistakes. He closes space, leans, digs, and makes opponents carry weight they do not want. The damage is cumulative. By the middle rounds, most of his opponents are no longer fighting cleanly. They are reacting.
Knyba arrives undefeated but unproven at this level. That is where the pressure sits. Kabayel is expected to win. Anything less than control and authority will be read as a stall rather than progress. At this stage, clean wins are no longer enough. They are examined for how they are achieved.
Kabayel has been open about where he wants to go next, and the ambition is clear. He has spoken openly about facing Oleksandr Usyk, even as Usyk has made it equally clear that his remaining fights will be limited and selective. That reality matters. Usyk vacated rather than face a mandatory challenger, signaling how little room there is for emerging names to force their way in.
There is a real possibility that Kabayel never shares a ring with Usyk. That does not diminish his position, but it does define his task. If the top of the division is closed, Kabayel must dominate what remains open.
That explains his willingness to engage with the next generation. Moses Itauma is younger, faster, and riskier in ways most contenders prefer to avoid. Kabayel has not shied away from the idea. Staying active against dangerous opponents is how leverage is built when titles are inaccessible.
Saturday is about reinforcing that leverage. A decisive win over Knyba would keep Kabayel relevant in a division that moves quickly and forgets even faster.
Right now, this fight decides whether Kabayel stays unavoidable or starts waiting.
