Kabayel to defend WBC world title in Dusseldorf

German heavyweight Agit Kabayel is set to make the first defence of his WBC world title against Nelson Hysa. The bout is scheduled for 28 November at the 60,000-capacity Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf.

The 34-year-old Kabayel remains undefeated in the professional ranks, boasting a 27-0 record with 19 knockouts. He was last in action in January in Oberhausen, stopping Damian Knyba inside three rounds in front of a sold-out crowd. The upcoming fight marks his first since being upgraded from interim to full WBC world champion in June, following Oleksandr Usyk's decision to vacate his WBC, WBA, and IBF belts.

Albania's Nelson Hysa holds an impressive 25-0 record, with 23 of those victories coming via knockout. Despite the formidable numbers, the 42-year-old veteran remains largely unproven at the elite level. In August, on the undercard of Filip Hrgovic vs Moses Itauma in London, he stopped Tomas Darmo inside two rounds, but he has yet to face anyone of Kabayel's caliber.

The showdown in Germany offers Hysa an opportunity to break into the WBC rankings. He is currently unranked by the sanctioning body, although he sits at number five in the WBA standings.

The event is promoted by Frank Warren, who currently represents three of boxing's four heavyweight world champions.

"This is the fight we wanted to make. Agit Kabayel has revitalised the German boxing market with his heavyweight exploits and will show that by defending his world title in front of more than 60,000 fans in Dusseldorf on November 28th. It is going to be an incredible occasion and one Agit thoroughly deserves. Facing Nelson Hysa has all the makings of a shootout between two unbeaten KO punchers. It is another massive Queensberry event as we continue to bring big-time boxing back to Germany," Warren said.