Zhilei Zhang gave Agit Kabayel a surprise gift during a press conference ahead of their showdown for the interim WBC heavyweight title next month on February 22 in Riyadh.
The two-time Olympian walked up to Kabylie (25-0, 17 KO) and handed him an envelope, which he opened to reveal a picture of the Chinese heavyweight. Chili said the gift was part of the Chinese New Year.
Predator mentality
Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KO) and unbeaten Kabyle will fight on the undercard of the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol II in Riyadh. It's clearly an important fight for both heavyweights, but it could mean even more for the 41-year-old Zhang given his age. He's running out of time to put himself in a position to get a world title shot against one of the two champions.
Last year, Zhang lost his interim WBO belt to Joseph Parker by controversial 12-round decision on March 8 in Riyadh. The 291-pound Chili appeared to be on his way to an early knockout after dropping Parker in the third round, but then ran out of gas.
Parker then dominated the second half of the fight, using his masterful skills to win an ugly decision. Chang knocked Parker out in the eighth round as well, and seemed to have done enough to value the win. The judges gave it to Parker by scores of 114-112, 115-111 and 114-114.
“I'm not a big fan of being a snake. I want to be an eagle. When the eagle sees its prey, it will grab it in the air and drop it,” Zhang said during the press conference, speaking about how he plans to fight the tribes.
A unique surprise gift from Chang for Kabyles 😂🎁#The latest escalation | February 22 | #Riyadh Season pic.twitter.com/tXUtmyD5Ml
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) January 13, 2025
Zeli Zhang Eagle 🦅#The latest escalation | February 22 | #Riyadh Season pic.twitter.com/edOGvOMLqD
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) January 13, 2025
