The 30-second version
- ✓Kabayel (27-0) defends the WBC heavyweight title for the first time on November 28 in Oberhausen: the venue and date are locked, the opponent isn't.
- ✓Nelson Hysa (25-0) nearly signed, then withdrew; five replacement names have since been floated, none confirmed.
- ✓Candidates reported: Tony Yoka (15-3), Guido Vianello (14-3-2), Andrii Novotskyi (16-0), Petar Milas (21-1), Kem Ljungquist (20-1).
- ✓Kabayel has publicly said he'd fight any of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua or Moses Itauma next, once November 28 is behind him.
● The short answer
Agit Kabayel (27-0, 19 KOs) defends his WBC heavyweight title for the first time on November 28, 2026, at the Rudolf Weber-Arena in Oberhausen, but as of late September the opponent still isn't confirmed. Albanian contender Nelson Hysa (25-0) was nearly signed before pulling out. Names now being floated include Tony Yoka (15-3), Guido Vianello (14-3-2), Andrii Novotskyi (16-0), Petar Milas (21-1) and Kem Ljungquist (20-1), though none is official. Separately, Kabayel has publicly welcomed a future title fight with any of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua or rising prospect Moses Itauma, whoever emerges strongest from the division's current run of big fights.
Two things are true about Agit Kabayel's next fight at once: the date and building are locked, and, a little over eight weeks out, nobody knows who is standing across the ring from him.
What's confirmed
November 28, Rudolf Weber-Arena, Oberhausen. That much has held since it was first announced. What hasn't held is the opponent: Albanian contender Nelson Hysa (25-0, 23 KOs) had reportedly agreed terms, then told promoter Queensberry days later that he was no longer interested.
The search since
Since Hysa's exit, reporting has floated five possible replacements: Tony Yoka (15-3), Guido Vianello (14-3-2), Andrii Novotskyi (16-0), Petar Milas (21-1) and Kem Ljungquist (20-1), a mix of former Olympic-level amateurs and unbeaten records, none of them a clear favorite, none of them confirmed. Read that list as a shortlist, not an announcement. Until a bout agreement is signed, this is a title defense with a building and no dance partner.
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The bigger picture Kabayel is playing for
While the November 28 opponent gets sorted, Kabayel has been publicly generous about what comes after: he's said he'd take on any of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua or the fast-rising Moses Itauma, whichever of them looks strongest once the division's current run of fights plays out. It's a confident position for a champion whose belt still came by promotion rather than by beating one of those three names directly, and it makes Oberhausen matter more than a one-off voluntary defense. A clean, decisive night keeps his name in that conversation. A stumble against a late-notice name would end it before it starts.
A champion is only as credible as his last defense. Kabayel has a building and a date. Everything that actually decides his 2027 still has to be signed.
FAQ
Who is Agit Kabayel fighting on November 28?+
As of late September 2026, no opponent is confirmed. Nelson Hysa (25-0) was close to signing before pulling out. Five other heavyweights have since been floated as possibilities, but nothing is official.
Would Kabayel fight Fury, Joshua or Itauma?+
Kabayel has publicly welcomed a title fight against any of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua or Moses Itauma, framing his November 28 defense as the step before those bigger fights, not a distraction from them.
Where and when is Kabayel's next fight?+
November 28, 2026, at the Rudolf Weber-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany: his first defense of the full WBC heavyweight title.
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