Arslanbek Makhmudov walks around with a scowl on his face. Simply put, if you aren’t in his immediate family, you aren’t likely to see him smiling. Agit Kabayel wasn’t unnerved or trembling when his handlers told him that he had to face Makhmudov next.
Kabayel saw it more as an opportunity to show the rest of the world what he had. So, as he made his way to the ring on December 23rd, the 31-year-old was happy to have the biggest audience of his career watching him.
Size and weight weren’t in his favor but Kabayel knew that he had what it took, boy was he right. The German native dominated Makmudov, dropping him a total of three times before eventually getting him out of there in the fourth.
Although he looked incredibly sharp, Makmudov’s performance was overshadowed by what took place in the main event. Anthony Joshua answered every question that was asked of him heading into his showdown against Otto Wallin. The former unified champ crushed his man, winning practically every round until things were called off in the fifth.
Since wiping the floor with Wallin, Joshua’s praises have been sung by essentially everyone. Kabayel, unsurprisingly, did the same.
“He fought very good,” Kabayel told Pro Boxing Fans. “Maybe AJ is back. I give him respect for the fight.”
For Joshua, it’s all about regaining his championship status. He doesn’t care who wins, but he’ll be watching the undisputed showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk while hoping to get the winner. That though, is unlikely since they signed a two-fight deal.
Joshua will return next in the month of March, in a crossover boxing match against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, who gave Fury all he could handle back in October of last year.
The British star is looking to fight three times in 2024 - and Kabayel is more than willing to get in there and mix it up with the former champ.
“If the fight comes then I’m ready for the fight. I’m ready for the big challenge. AJ is a big name. When the fight comes, I’m ready. We are ready for the fight.”