Martin Bakole is on the brink of a major bout with Anthony Joshua after a prolonged period on the outskirts of the heavyweight division.
Despite suffering his first professional defeat to Michael Hunter in 2018, Bakole has steadily built his name in the boxing world, even if his sparring sessions have been a mixed blessing. Although these behind-closed-doors encounters have generated interest, they haven’t led to the big fights he craves.
However, Bakole’s fortunes may soon change, with Saudi Arabia’s boxing chief, Turki Alalshikh, suggesting a high-profile clash between Bakole and Joshua in Africa.
“We are open to seeing Joshua face Bakole,” Alalshikh told talkSPORT. “I want to see this fight, but I want to see it in Africa.”
Bakole, eager for the fight, welcomed the comments and made it clear he’s ready to face the former world champion. “They keep avoiding me, but now we have someone giving the fans what they want,” Bakole said. “The African fans want to see this fight in Africa, especially in my home country.”
But before he can meet Joshua, Bakole must first defeat Efe Ajagba, a hard-hitting Nigerian boxer. Bakole has been ordered to fight Ajagba in an IBF final eliminator, with the winner set to face the winner of the IBF heavyweight title bout between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker in February 2025.
