Agit Kabayel has shared the ring with some massive punchers.
The long-reigning unbeaten European champion saw his career stagnate for an extended stretch before Saudi Arabia made its splash in boxing two years ago.
Matchroom Boxing Agit Kabayel beat Derek Chisora in 2017 to retain his European title[/caption]
Kabayel held the blue and gold foe for five years, but struggled to attract the big fights outside of his epic first defence with Derek Chisora in 2017.
The 32-year-old’s majority decision win over the bullish Brit saw his stock rise tenfold.
However, Kabayel was unable to build on the momentum.
In 2020, he was in talks to fight Tyson Fury at the Royal Albert Hall, but that fight fell through due to contractual complications with Deontay Wilder.
For the proceedings six years, Kabayel fought just five times and became the forgotten man in the heavyweight division for a time.
The German Dynamo got more action in sparring than he did under the bright lights during the late 2010s and early 2020s, joining Anthony Joshua and Fury as sparring partners in respective camps.
Both men are noted for their punching power as is former foe Chisora, yet when asked who hit him the hardest by talkSPORT.com, Kabayel gave a surprising answer.
“Chisora hit very, very hard,” he said. “I was only 25 when I fought him, but the name that really sticks out is a guy I fought when I was 21.
“He didn’t have a big name in boxing, but his name was Gbenga Oloukun.
“He beat Lamont Brewster before me and he hit very hard.
Fight Club TurkiyeOloukun caused a young Kabayel serious problems when they fought in 2014[/caption]
“It was ten rounds of hard boxing and this fight made me into a man.”
Gbenga Oloukun started his career as a prospect, winning his first 16 fights.
But like many up-and-coming boxers, he eventually found his level and slipped into a career as a journeyman.
The Nigerian puncher had lost nine out of his last ten fights by the time he boxed a fresh-faced Kabayel in 2014, but he pushed the German all the way in a gruelling encounter.
Kabayel took some heavy blows over the ten-round distance, but he bit down on his gumshield and edged past his adversary via split decision.
The fight was the making of Kabayel, who has since gone on to defeat previously undefeated opponents Arlsanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez in a pair of Riyadh Season fights which have elevated him to No. 5 in the Ring Magazine heavyweight rankings.
Instagram – Gbenga Oloukun.Oloukun is now 23-17 as a pro and coming to the end of his career at 41[/caption]
Kabayel is now set to face Zhilei Zhang on February 22 for the WBC ‘interim’ heavyweight title on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II undercard in the Middle East.
If he can overcome Zhang, then he will be next in line for a shot at the full WBC belt, which is currently in Oleksandr Usyk‘s possession.
In stark contrast, Oloukun recently lost for the 17th time in 39 professional fights (22-17) to the unheralded Franklin Arinze at a school hall in Nigeria.
