Zhilei Zhang and Agit Kabayel have arrived at the same title path after each abandoning separate opportunities.

The Ring has confirmed that the WBC has approved a request for an interim title to be at stake for a proposed bout between top-rated heavyweight contenders. Kabayel-Zhang is budgeted to land on the Feb. 22 Riyadh Season show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Both parties agreed to face each other after bowing out of IBF-ordered title eliminators. Zhang (27-2-1, 22 knockouts) and Kabayel (25-0. 17 KOs)—The Ring No. 4 and No. 5 rated heavyweights, respectively—were extended offers to face Martin Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs), The Ring No. 6 contender at the weight. They both declined and then turned to each other for a fight that was made within days and minimal back-and-forth.

Kabayel is the No. 2-rated heavyweight contender in the most recent WBC rankings. Zhang is rated No. 4 by the Mexico City-headquartered sanctioning body.

Former two-time Ring champion Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) is rated No. 1 by The Ring and the WBC. However, he is already on course to face The Ring heavyweight and pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) on Dec. 21 in Riyadh. The bout is a rematch to their May 18 thriller, won by Usyk via unanimous decision to fully unify the division and also defend his Ring championship for the second time.

Bakole is the WBC’s No. 3 contender. However, he will remain in pursuit of the IBF title currently held by Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs), who is due to headline the Feb. 22 Riyadh Season show, reportedly versus Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KOs). Dubois and Parker are ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively by The Ring.

In a perfect world, the winners between Usyk-Fury II and Zhang-Kabayel would next meet in a WBC title consolidation bout. However, Sky Sports has reported that the more likely path for the Zhang-Kabayel victor is a title defense versus former two-time unified titlist Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs, The Ring No. 7-rated heavyweight.

Zhang and Kabayel are both Riyadh Season regulars and coming off separate stoppage victories.

Zhang, a 41-year-old southpaw who claimed a Silver medal for China in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, scored a fifth-round knockout of Deontay Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs). Their June 1 heavyweight clash headlined the Queensberry v. Matchroom 5 vs. 5 event in Riyadh. Zhang previously lost to Parker via twelve-round decision on a March 8 Riyadh show.

Kabayel has seen his stock soar on the Riyadh Season circuit. The 32-year-old contender from Bochum, Germany scored an upset fourth-round knockout of Arslanbek Makhmudov in their Dec. 23 battle of unbeaten contenders at Kingdom Arena. The same venue housed his seventh-round stoppage of Frank Sanchez, who was also undefeated at the time of their May 18 WBC title eliminator.