At the press conference before the WBC interim heavyweight title fight in Riyadh on February 22 next month, Zhang Zhilei gave Ajit Kabayel a surprise gift.

The two-time Olympian walked up to Cabayel (25-0, 17 KOs) and handed him an envelope, which he opened to reveal a photo of the Chinese heavyweight. Zhilei said the gift was part of the Chinese New Year.

predator mentality

Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) and undefeated Kabayel will fight in the second rematch of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol in Riyadh . Obviously, this is an important fight for both heavyweights, but it could mean more for the 41-year-old Zhang due to his age. He’s running out of time to put himself in a position to compete for the world title against one of the two champions.

Last year, Zhang lost his interim WBO belt to Joseph Parker in a controversial 12-round majority decision in Riyadh on March 8. The 291-pound Zhilei looked set to be eliminated early after knocking out Parker in the third round, but then he ran out of energy.

Parker then dominated the second half, using his finesse to earn an ugly decision. Zhang also knocked down Parker in the eighth round and seemed to have done enough to earn the win. The judges awarded Parker the score of 114-112, 115-111, and 114-114.

“I don’t really like being a snake. I want to be an eagle. When an eagle sees its prey, it will catch it in the air and throw it away,” Zhang told a news conference about how he planned to meet Kabbah Yael said as he fought.

Zhang’s unique surprise gift for Kabayel😂🎁#final crescendo | February 22 | #riadhseason pic.twitter.com/tXUtmyD5Ml

— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) January 13, 2025

Zhilei Zhang the eagle 🦅#final crescendo | February 22 | #riadhseason pic.twitter.com/edOGvOMLqD

— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) January 13, 2025