Agit Kabayel reportedly pulled out of the purse for an IBF heavyweight title eliminator against Martin Kabayel for what would have been a battle to determine the proxy to defend Daniel Dubois for his belt.

Dan Rafael reports that Kabayel (25-0, 17 KOs) chose to leave in a “different direction.» There is speculation that Kabayel could be selected as Dubuis’ next opponent for February without facing the dangerous Bakole (21-1, 16 KO).

Kabayel roasted by fans

Fans on social media are criticizing Kabayel for withdrawing from the scholarship offer, seeing it as a case of nervousness on his part, knowing what he had to face fighting the brutal Bakole. This guy is considered a mix of George Foreman and Sonny Liston, with the power he can generate on shots that aren’t thrown with much speed but have a hard, dull impact.

With that fight off the table, No. 4 IBF Bakole and No. 5 Zhilei Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) should be the next title eliminators to command for the International Boxing Federation title. Dubois.

It’s understandable why Kabayel, 32, would choose to skip the IBF title eliminator against heavyweight Bakole if he can get a title shot against Dubois (22-2, 21 KO) on a Riyadh season card and get a big salary. Upsetting Dubois, who can be hot and cold, would like Kabayel to be ready for lucrative fights against Anthony Joshua or the winner of the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk 2 rematch.

Bakole, 31, is a dangerous puncher who is coming off a fifth-round knockout over America’s No. 1 prospect, Jared Anderson, on August 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. He reduced Anderson to rubble, dropping him three times in the fight, once in the first round and twice more in the fifth. This was part of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh season card, headlined by Terence Crawford versus Israil Madrimov.

Zhang counters. Bakole possible for IBF eliminator

A fight between Zhang, a two-time Chinese Olympian, and Bakole would be entertaining for fans, as both are slow, big and powerful. Zhang, 41, looked great knocking out former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder in the fifth round on June 1 in Riyadh.

Zhang’s weight was down to a more manageable 282 pounds for this fight, compared to the 291.5 pounds he weighed in his 12-round unanimous decision loss to Joseph Parker in his previous fight on March 8 in Riyadh. As Modern-day Gilgameshthe immortal man, Zhang is one of those fighters who defy age.