Agit Kabayel hopes that with victory over Damian Knyba he has cleared the final hurdle before a fight with Oleksandr Usyk.

Knyba came out hot against Kabayel, but the German heavyweight ground him down and battered him into a third-round stoppage.

In doing so, Kabayel, 27-0 (19 KOs) defended his WBC interim title while handing Knyba his first loss in 18 starts.

“I think the president of the WBC will say I’m the mandatory for the WBC belt and why not,” Kabayel told the post-fight press conference. “I think we can make the fight [with Usyk]. I think I’m ready challenge and I think we can make it a stadium in Germany,. We also have a lot of Ukrainian people in Germany. Why not?

“I think Usyk is one of the great fighters of the world. He’s one of the best boxers in the world, he’s undisputed champion, but we will see. I challenge myself. I’m ready.”

Kabayel was asked whether his famed body attack would work well against Usyk, who some contend is vulnerable to the body.

“I not only go to the body, I also go to the head,” Kabayel said. “Today, I finished the fight to the head. I can finish a fight to the body, I can finish it to the head. I am ready.”

There were a number of fighters ringside to watch Kabayel, including Filip Hrgovic, Tony Yoka, and the WBC’s No. 1 Lawrence Okolie.

“What do the other fights bring for me?” Kabayel, 33, asked. “I fought three times big names in boxing, I thought Makhmudov, Frank Sanchez, today I fight with one guy who never lost in his career. No disrespect to Lawrence Okolie or other guys. I think I’m ready for the world title shot.  Why are we making boxing so much [about] politics. I’m the mandatory, give me the fight with Usyk. I’m ready.”

Another fight he would entertain, however, is with WBO champion Fabio Wardley.

“Fabio? Why not. He has the WBO world title. We can make that in Germany or in the UK. Send me the location.”

Another who is not on his radar is the returning Tyson Fury. Kabayel said they are too close to fight.

“Fury, no. I’m not interested in the fight with Fury,” he said. “Fury is my brother, he helped me so much in my career when I had the fight with Makhmudov he supported me, and I’m not interested.”