Agit Kabayel vs Damian Knyba Preview Jan. 10th, 2025
The WBC Interim Heavyweight Title is on the line in Oberhausen, Germany this Saturday, January 10th as unbeaten Agit Kabayel puts it on the line in his homeland against undefeated Damian Knyba of Poland. The 12-round bout can be seen live in most nations on DAZN. Kabayel last fought in February when got up from the canvas in the fifth round and stopped Zhilei Zhang in the sixth with a body shot for the interim belt. In he previous bout he halted Frank Sanchez in the seventh round to defend his WBC Continental Americas and WBO NABO Heavyweight Crowns. Knyba, who fights out of New Jersey, stopped joey Dawejko in the seventh round in his last bout in October.
Kabayel vs Knyba Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Damian Knyba +1000
- Agit Kabayel -3300
My Pick
Kabayel is 33 years of age but isn’t isn’t very well known outside of Europe. However he certainly made a name for himself on the world scene with his recent demolition jobs over Arslanbek Makhmudov, Frank Sanchez and Zhilhei Zhang. Kabayel makes the ring walk with a perfect mark of 26-0 with 18 Ko’s and has fought 131 rounds since making his pro debut in 2011. He possesses good power in his arsenal as his current knockout ratio sits at 69.2 per cent. He’s stopped his last five opponents but went the distance in his three previous bouts.
Kabayel measures 6-feet-3-inches with an 80-inch reach. As far as heavyweight belts go, Kabayel, who has Turkish roots, has also won the vacant European Heavyweight Title twice and the vacant WBC Mediterranean Heavyweight Belt once as well as the NABF Title. His biggest wins have been against Zhang, Sanchez, Makhmudov, Dereck Chisora, Miljan Rovcanin, Andrii Rudenko, Evgenios Lazaridis, Herve Hubeaux, Kevin Johnson and Pavel Sour.
The 29-year-old Knyba isn’t very well known in the heavyweight ranks but he sports a perfect mark of 17-0 with 11 Ko’s and has boxed 77 rounds as a pro since making his debut in 2021. He has good speed, range and power and enjoyed a fine amateur career with a reported 23-7 record. Knyba won the 2019 Polish Youth Championship and captured the Polish Senior Championship the next year. He stands 6-feet-7-inches tall with an 86-inch reach for a four-inch height advantage and six-inch edge in reach on Kabayel.
As far as power is concerned, Knyba is slightly above Kabayel with a current knockout ratio of 64.7 per cent. He’s stopped his last four opponents after going the distance in his two previous bouts. His level of competition certainly doesn’t equal Kabayel’s though as his biggest wins have come against the likes of Joey Dawejko, Marcin Siwy, Richard Lartey Harrison, Terrell Jamal Woods, Michael Coffie and Curtis Harper.
Prediction…
Kabayel is a solid and durable heavyweight who can hurt opponents to the head and body. He’ll need to get inside though as Knyba has considerable advantages in height and reach and is four years younger. We don’t really know how good Knyba is until he steps up in opposition so this is a good test for him. I give the edge to Kabayel though as he’s proven he can handle elite, hard-hitting heavyweights due to his aggressive style and body-punching ability. Knyba may take a while to figure out but I believe Kabayel will leave the ring with another victory under his belt. However, the -3300 odds may be pushing it a little.
Kabayel’s experience will be the key.
Play: Kabayel -3300 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.
Agit Kabayel betting • Damian Knyba betting