Zhilei Zhang gave Agit Kabayel a surprise during their press conference ahead of their clash for the WBC interim heavyweight title on February 22 in Riyadh next month.

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

Hunter's Mindset

Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) and undefeated Kabael will fight on the undercard of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 rematch in Riyadh. It's an important fight for both heavyweights, obviously, but it might mean a little more because of Zhang's age at 41. Time is running out to put him in a position to win the world title against one of the two champions.

Last year, Zhang lost his WBO interim belt to Joseph Parker via a controversial 12-round majority decision on March 8 in Riyadh. The 291-pound Jhilei appeared to be on his way to an early knockout after dropping Parker in the third round, but later ran out of gas.

Parker then dominated the second half of the fight, using his slick skills to win an ugly decision. Zhang also knocked Parker out in the eighth round, and he seemed to have done enough to rate the win. The judges gave it to Parker with 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 an eagle sees its prey, it catches it in the air and throws it away,” Zhang said during the press conference, talking about how he plans to fight against Kabael.

A unique surprise gift from Zhang to Kabael 😂🎁#TheLastCrescendo | February 22 | #Riyadh season pic.twitter.com/tXUtmyD5Ml

— Queensberry Promotion (@Queensberry) January 13, 2025

Jhelei Zhang Eagle 🦅#TheLastCrescendo | February 22 | #Riyadh season pic.twitter.com/edOGvOMLqD

— Queensberry Promotion (@Queensberry) January 13, 2025