Professional boxer Agit Kabayel has relinquished his European heavyweight championship title after his successful appearance in Saudi Arabia. Kabayel’s management confirmed this on Thursday in response to a “SID” request.
With his recent success, the 31-year-old “boxed himself into the top 5 or 6 in the world”, and Kabayel had “no choice” for further top fights but to give up the European title.
Kabayel (24 wins from 24 fights) defeated the previously unbeaten Russian Arslanbek Machmudow by technical knockout in Riyadh on December 23rd and positioned himself for a possible world championship fight.
The Bochum native had only regained the European title in March of the previous year in a duel with the Croatian Agron Smakici, after Kabayel had already relinquished the European Boxing Union (EBU) belt once.
As a result of Kabayel’s decision, the German duel for the European Championship title with Tom Schwarz will not take place.
The 29-year-old, who lost to current world champion Tyson Fury in 2019, was named as mandatory challenger by the EBU and will now have to compete against a different opponent in the fight for the European Championship crown.