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Agit Kabayel vs. Damian Knyba Keys to Victory: Breaking down tactics of each fighter
If Agit Kabayel wants to make 2026 the most memorable year of his career, he can start Saturday with a successful defense of his WBC interim heavyweight title against fellow undefeated boxer Damian Knyba at Rudolf Weber Arena in Oberhausen, German, and live on DAZN. A win in the headlining card will inch him closer to a potential super fight with unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Kabayel (26-0, 18 KOs) created waves last February, earning the interim title with a sixth-round knockout of Zhilei Zhang in a bout that had him overcoming a fifth-round knockdown. The German fighter will once again be at a height and reach deficit against the larger Knyba (17-0, 11 KOs). The Polish fighter racked up three wins in 2025 including his seventh-round TKO of Joey Dawejko in October.
Will Kabayel dazzle in yet another eye-opening performance? Or will Knyba pull off the upset in Germany and snatch the spotlight for himself? With the stakes incredibly high, DAZN News provides the Keys to Victory for both Kabayel and Knyba.
Agit Kabayel’s Keys to Victory
Get inside of Knyba’s reach
Agit Kabayel will be giving up three inches in height and six inches of reach against the 6-foot-7 Polish fighter Damian Knyba.
That deficit makes it imperative for Kabayel to close the gap and get inside of Knyba’s reach. The German heavyweight can achieve this with methodical movement or by bulldozing his way forward if the former tactic does not work.
His penchant for ripping the body should help as well.
Serve a buffet of body punches
Kabayel is already renowned amongst heavyweights for the way he attacks the body, scrambling opponents’ midsections with relentless deposits downstairs.
Against a taller, larger Knyba, Kabayel must force feed the Polish heavyweight a buffet of body punches which will not only garner him points but will allow him to stay in the pocket and continue to dig.
Surprise Knyba when least expected
Anthony Joshua observed how Kabayel is adroit at touching and touching the body with pounding work only to surprise opponents with a shot upstairs.
This tactic, in lulling opponents with the body work, can work against Knyba considering the Polish heavyweight’s movement can sometimes be plodding around the ring.
Therefore, Kabayel has the opportunity to shock him with something devastating upstairs when Knyba least expects it — perhaps to a stirring stoppage victory.
Damian Knyba’s Keys to Victory
Establish the jab early, maintain reach advantage
Damian Knyba is a tall fighter who knows how to use his height and reach fully to his advantage.
So, against a body snatcher like Agit Kabayel, Knyba’s ability to assert the jab early and keep the German heavyweight at the end of that stick will be vital.
If Knyba can control his ring real estate, he can perhaps keep Kabayel at bay, rack up points and rounds.
Look to time a sharp counter
If Kabayel has to barrel forward to get inside of Knyba’s reach, the onus will be on the undefeated Polish heavyweight to catch him coming in with a sharp counter.
Achieving this with consistency can go long ways to keeping Kabayel out of the pocket by giving him something to think about each sequence along the way.
Close the distance in select spots
Just like Kabayel should look to surprise Knyba upstairs as an alternate route to the body work, Knyba has the chance to close the distance in select spots to offer a change up from his outside work.
Knyba actually closes the distance in select spots effectively. As long as he does not telegraph these spots, this strategy can be an effective one toward his chances for the upset.
Watch Kabayel vs. Knyba with a DAZN subscription
January starts with a heavyweight bang as Agit Kabayel takes the next steps towards a world title shot as he face Damian Knyba on Saturday, January 10, exclusively on DAZN Watch with a subscription, monthly and annual options available.
