Live boxing is back on ESPN+ Saturday, July 18, with the return of undefeated heavyweight contender Agit Kabayel in a 10-rounder against Evgenios “Achilles” Lazaridis from Seebühne Elbauenpark in Magdeburg, Germany.
Agit Kabayel (107,4 kg / GER) vs. Evgenios Lazaridis (115,7 kg / GRE)
Peter Kadiru (108,4 kg / GER) vs. Eugen Buchmüller (96,6 kg / GER)
Nina Meinke (58,0 kg / GER) vs. Edina Kiss (58,5 kg / HUN)
Collins Ojal (104,5 kg / KEN) vs. Georgij Fibich (112,5 kg / CZE)
Edison Zani (69,1 kg / GER) vs. Maurice Morio (69,0 kg / GER)
Artur Henrik (76,0 kg / GER / Team Deutschland) vs. Miguel Aguilar (75,1 kg / NCA)
The event, promoted by SES Boxing, will take place in front of a limited number of fans and will mark Kabayel’s first fight since he signed a co-promotional pact with Top Rank last year. Kabayel vs Lazaridis and select undercard bouts will stream live beginning at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT.
Kabayel (19-0, 13 KOs) is a former European champion who is currently ranked in the top 15 by three of the major sanctioning organizations. Based in Germany, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 230-plus pounds, Kabayel won the title in February 2017 with a unanimous decision over Belgian veteran Herve Hubeaux. He defended the title three times — including a November 2017 majority decision over longtime contender Derek Chisora — before vacating it last year to make his mark stateside.
The COVID-19 pandemic delayed Kabayel’s United States debut, but he returns following a 16-month layoff to fight Lazaridis (16-2, 10 KOs), a former Greek amateur star who has won four in a row. Now based in Germany, the 32-year-old Lazaridis is a seven-year pro who, at 6’6, will have a three-inch height advantage over Kabayel.
In other action on the ESPN+ stream:
Heavyweight prospect Peter Kadiru (7-0, 3 KOs), who was victorious on the Tyson Fury-Tom Schwarz undercard in Las Vegas last June, will fight fellow unbeaten Eugen Buchmüller in an eight-rounder.
In a six-round heavyweight tilt featuring a pair of unbeatens, Collins Ojal (3-0, 2 KOs) will take on Georgij Fibich (1-0, 1 KO).
Top Rank Signs Unbeaten Heavyweight Contender Agit Kabayel
European heavyweight kingpin Agit Kabayel is coming to America.
Kabayel (19-0, 13 KOs) has signed a promotional contract with Top Rank, which will co-promote his bouts with SES Boxing. He is ranked No. 4 by the IBF and No. 9 by both the WBO and WBC.
Kabayel made three defenses of the European heavyweight title before vacating the crown to pursue opportunities stateside. He will make his Top Rank debut on an ESPN platform in either late 2019 or early 2020.
“My American Dream has come true,” Kabayel said. “I can’t wait to showcase my skills in the U.S. and on ESPN. As the European champion, the time is now to go all in and achieve my lifetime goal of becoming the first German world heavyweight champion since the great Max Schmeling.”
“We are delighted to join forces with Bob Arum and Top Rank to present Agit Kabayel on ESPN, the biggest sports platform in the world,” said SES Boxing President Benedikt Poelchau.
“Agit is ready for the world’s best heavyweights, and at only 26 years of age, the best is yet to come. Like all great fighters, Agit wants to make his mark in America,” said Ulf Steinforth, founder of SES Boxing.
Kabayel, who was born in Germany to Kurdish parents, has fought 14 of his 19 pro bouts in his home country. An eight-year pro, Kabayel won the vacant European crown in February 2017 with a 12-round unanimous decision over Herve Hubeaux. Nine months later, he scored his most high-profile victory, a majority decision over perennial contender Derek Chisora. A seasoned veteran who has sparred lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former unified champion Anthony Joshua, Kabayel opened his 2019 campaign March 2 with an impressive unanimous decision over Andriy Rudenko in Magdeburg, Germany.
