Kabayel Could Face Okolie in Spring — Depends on Usyk

Trainer of former two-division world champion Lawrence Okolie, Joe Gallagher, revealed under what conditions his fighter could face Agit Kabayel.

“If Usyk vacates the title, then a fight between Okolie and Kabayel will likely happen in March or April next year.

That’s why we need to get Lawrence another fight first. He’s open to any world title opportunity — not just the WBC.

Given that he’s ranked number one and Kabayel is seen as a boogeyman in the division, Lawrence wants that fight. When he wins that title, he’ll have beaten one of the best.

But he’s open to other fights too. We’ve talked about a potential matchup with Deontay Wilder and others. He’s in a very good position right now.

He just needs a fight to stay active — like Kabayel does — while we wait to see what Usyk decides.

Lawrence wants to fight in Nigeria. There’s talk of a show there in December, and I think he’d love to be part of it. It would be a fantastic story — it would also excite Joshua and others to go there,” Gallagher said.

In the summer of 2025, Lawrence Okolie (22-1, 16 KOs) defeated Kevin Lerena on the undercard of the Usyk–Dubois rematch. Agit Kabayel (25-0, 17 KOs) knocked out Zhilei Zhang in February 2025. His next opponent has not yet been announced.