DURING 2024, Congolese bogeyman Martin Bakole proved that his goal of becoming Africa’s second heavyweight world champion was an attainable one, laughing off suggestions of delusion after years of being written off by the masses. Now, with an assumably opportune 2025 now underway, the Kananga-born contender is set to take on an opponent closer to home.
After being considered a fringe world-level heavyweight for the years that followed a maiden career defeat to Michael Hunter, attention returned to Bakole for his upset win over Tony Yoka in 2022, scoring a shock majority decision on away soil against France’s Tokyo 2016 Olympic gold medallist.
Since then, a trifecta of knockout successes has seen Bakole re-emerge as a threat to the heavyweight crown, none more so than his latest triumph – a brutal fifth-round stoppage of previously undefeated American, Jared Anderson, on a ‘Riyadh Season’ card in August – which saw him noticeably improve his position in the world rankings.
Finally, after rumours of a scrap with China’s Zhilei Zhang, the IBF instead ordered a final eliminator between Bakole (IBF #3) and Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba (IBF #5), with the victor likely to challenge for Daniel Dubois’ coveted title by the end of the calendar.
Yet, Bakole, who claims to have broken Dubois’ nose twice during sparring in the past, has decided to also target two-time champion Anthony Joshua, after ‘AJ’ picked Ajagba to come out on top in the upcoming all-African clash, simultaneously confirming that his next outing will be against ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’.
“You’re talking about Ajagba? Ajagba is a baby, wait until you see how I am going to knock him out. I invite you to be there, you are talking s**t.
“Now you’re saying you’re Nigerian, that you’re not British anymore, I will knock you out – I am an African giant, I am an African Warrior.”
“After knockout Ajagba out, I will knock you out as well.”
Additionally, Billy Nelson, who trains Bakole, has revealed that his man will meet Ajagba in March, with recent rumours suggesting that the bout was removed from the stacked Beterbiev-Bivol II undercard and that it will now take place on a Boxxer bill in the United Kingdom in two months’ time.
