Agit Kabayel closed his homecoming with authority on Saturday night, stopping Damian Knyba in the third round to retain his WBC interim heavyweight title at the Rudolf Weber Arena in Oberhausen, Germany.
It was Kabayel’s first fight in Germany since 2023, following an extended run of bouts staged abroad. The setting mattered. A crowd of roughly 13,000 backed him from the opening bell, and Kabayel responded with a performance that left little doubt about the gap in readiness between the two heavyweights.
Knyba entered unbeaten and physically imposing, standing several inches taller and carrying a long reach advantage. He showed ambition early, standing his ground in the opening round and landing clean shots that forced Kabayel to stay alert. The champion absorbed the work without panic, keeping his feet set and his pace measured.
That balance began to tilt in the second round. Kabayel stepped inside more consistently and began targeting the body. The punches were not rushed, but they accumulated. Knyba’s movement slowed. His jab lost snap. The exchanges became shorter and less controlled.
By the third round, Kabayel was dictating every phase of the fight. He walked Knyba backward, pinned him near the ropes, and unloaded with sustained pressure. A series of unanswered shots prompted the referee to intervene, bringing the contest to a halt.
The stoppage drew mixed reactions in the arena, with some questioning whether it came too soon. Even so, Knyba was no longer defending himself effectively, and the direction of the fight was clear.
With the win, Agit Kabayel improved his record to 27-0 with 19 knockouts, extending his current run of stoppage victories. Damian Knyba suffered the first loss of his career.
Kabayel did not just win. He controlled the fight from the moment it mattered, and that is the part that should not be ignored.
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Last Updated on 01/10/2026
