On Sunday, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani congratulated boxer Agit Kabayel on becoming the first Kurdish WBC World Heavyweight Champion.

On Saturday, Kabayel announced that he is now the WBC Heavyweight World Champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his titles.

“The first Kurdish heavyweight world champion in history and the first German heavyweight world champion in almost 100 years. Words can’t describe what I am feeling right now,” Kabayel posted on Instagram.

Read More: Agit Kabayel Becomes First Kurdish WBC Heavyweight World Champion

“Thank you to every single one of you for your support throughout this journey. This achievement belongs to all of us. I will do everything I can to hold this belt for a long time and add even more titles to my Collection.”

In April last year, KRG Prime Minister Barzani met with Kabayel, calling him “our Kurdish champion”. 

“Your dedication is commendable — keep it up,” he posted on X at the time.

Kabayel was born on September 23, 1992, and is a heavyweight boxer and two-time European champion. He is also related to the German Kurdish rapper KC Rebell.