For heavyweight boxer Agit Kabayel, his knockout victory against the previously undefeated Russian Arslanbek Machmudow didn’t just pay off in terms of sport.
The number of followers on social media skyrocketed – and soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and the well-known martial artist Conor McGregor also followed his fight and were impressed.
“I stopped counting. My Instagram exploded. Overnight I got 30,000 more followers,” Kabayel told “Bild”. He is now followed by 237,000 fans. “Cristiano Ronaldo and Conor McGregor were sitting in the front row. I met both of them after my fight. Cristiano smiled at me, Conor congratulated me. A great recognition.”
The 31-year-old Kabayel secured the preliminary decision in the top duel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a hard liver hook in the fourth round. Kabayel, currently the best German heavyweight, has 24 wins, 16 by knockout.
“This is a great confirmation for me and the German boxing sport in general. We are now playing with the big names in the heavyweight division. I am now probably even listed in the top 5 by the world associations WBA and WBC,” said Kabayel, who strongly recommended himself for a world championship fight.
“The World Cup title is the big goal. When that will come is still up in the air. We’ll see whether it will happen in 2024. I already know that the organizers are interested in me being back in Saudi Arabia in March. Arabia is fighting,” said Kabayel, who won the European Championship title of the European continental association EBU for the second time in March in his hometown of Leverkusen.