Murat Gassiev has four heavyweight options after stopping Peter Kadiru in his first WBA title defense. Promoter Ivaylo Gotzev identified Jarrell Miller, Derek Chisora, Agit Kabayel and Bakhodir Jalolov as the names under consideration.
Gassiev forced Kadiru’s corner to stop their IBA Pro 19 main event after six rounds at VTB Arena in Moscow on July 11. The result moved the 32-year-old champion to 34-2-1 with 27 knockouts.
“The heavyweight division has come alive again, and Murat is right in the middle of it,” Gotzev said.
“We are looking carefully at every option and asking one question: which fight makes the most sporting and commercial sense for Murat and for heavyweight boxing?
“But our destination is clear. We want to unify this division.”
Gotzev named the four contenders in an interview with World Boxing News. The outlet’s source post is embedded below.
WBA heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev has a four-man hitlist for his next fight. Jarrell Miller, Derek Chisora, Agit Kabayel and Bakhodir Jalolov are all in the frame — but the WBA may ultimately have the final say.
— World Boxing News (@WorldBoxingNews) August 11, 2026
The separate IBA Pro 19 replay below shows Gassiev’s title defense against Peter Kadiru; it is fight footage, not the source of the quotes.
Four Different Routes For Gassiev
Miller is the WBA route. The American returned to contention by stopping Lenier Pero in April, while Moses Itauma’s move toward an IBF title fight with Filip Hrgovic could reopen the WBA mandatory position.
Chisora entered the ring after Gassiev’s win over Kadiru and confronted the champion. That meeting gave Gassiev an immediate commercial option in Britain, where Chisora remains a proven ticket seller.
Kabayel would offer the strongest title-based matchup of the four. The unbeaten German holds heavyweight championship status and previously defeated Chisora, Arslanbek Makhmudov and Zhilei Zhang.
Jalolov is the least experienced professional on the list but the most decorated amateur. The Uzbek heavyweight won Olympic gold in 2021 and 2024 and has carried his size and left-handed power into the professional ranks.
Gassiev Is Chasing A Second Unified Championship
Gassiev previously unified the IBF and WBA cruiserweight titles before losing to Oleksandr Usyk in the 2018 World Boxing Super Series final. Gotzev said the goal is to make him a unified champion in a second division.
“Murat has already been a unified cruiserweight champion. If he can do the same at heavyweight, he joins Evander Holyfield and Oleksandr Usyk in an extraordinary piece of boxing history,” Gotzev said.
“Murat is only 32 years old. He is a world champion, he is one of the most dangerous punchers in boxing, and we believe his greatest nights are still ahead of him.”
Gassiev won the WBA heavyweight belt by knocking out Kubrat Pulev in the sixth round in December 2025, then retained it against Kadiru. His current run stands at four consecutive stoppage victories.
The WBA’s next mandatory decision will shape which name becomes realistic first. Miller is tied most closely to that route, Chisora has already made his interest public, Kabayel offers unification stakes, and Jalolov presents a high-risk matchup against a two-time Olympic champion.
MiddleEasy’s heavyweight coverage has also tracked Gassiev’s stoppage of Kadiru, Kabayel’s rise in the title picture, and the division’s recent contender movement.
