Agit Kabayel Hands Frank Sanchez His First Defeat
An upset took place in Riyadh between “The Cuban Flash” Frank Sanchez (24-1, 17KO) and Agit Kabayel (25-0, 17KO). The first red flag was produced from Sanchez as he seemed to pack on much more muscle mass than past bouts. The second was a brace Sanchez wore on his right knee indicating a pre-existing leg injury. Whether the two red flags had any affect on Sanchez’ performance is another conversation. What is factual is “The Cuban Flash” looked anything but what his nickname suggests!
Kabayel is known for his motor and applying significant pressure that has no means to an end. This style absolutely baffled the Cuban as he was walked-down from round one! With all the extra mass, it would seem Sanchez would be the man walking his opponent down. However, he never deviated from his normal counter-punching style. The problem was he did not have the same flashy movement that helped produce the openings he is accustomed to exploiting. To add insult to injury, Kabayel kept working the body to further sap his opponent’s stamina.
The result was a complete wash! Round after round, fans watched a slow-moving, “Incredible Hulk” version of Sanchez getting bombarded with shots against the ropes. The occasional counter-punch landed, but the power did not deter Kabayel. In round seven, the bodywork paid dividends as Sanchez would taste the canvas twice from shots to the solar plexus. The second one would get him counted out!
This is a major win for the undefeated Kabayel who now accepts the position as the WBC mandatory for the winner of Fury vs Usyk.
