Heavyweight Contender Martin Bakole Positioned for Bigger Fights
The heavyweight division is filled with marquee names like Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder. However, there are plenty of rising contenders looking to stake a claim as fighters to watch for. Congo-born heavyweight contender Martin Bakole (18-1, 13KOs) has placed himself among this crowd.
Bakole is coming off the biggest win of his career against 2016 Olympic gold medalist Tony Yoka (11-1, 9KOs). The 6’3 contender put on a dominant performance back in May as he dropped Yoka en route to a majority decision win. He was a significant underdog going into the fight, but he would surprise not only Yoka, but also his fans, as he was absolutely dominant in front of the pro French crowd.
That win would catapult Bakole into the four sanctioning body organizations’ rankings. As of this writing, he’s currently ranked #14 (WBO), #5 (IBF), #9 (WBC), and #4 (WBA). Within the IBF, possible matchups with world title challengers Otto Wallin (#10) and Dillian Whyte (#9) are interesting bouts. Also, there are potential bouts with unbeaten contenders Agit Kabayel (22-0, 14KOs) and Frank Sanchez (20-0, 13KOs), who are ranked #6 and #7, respectively.
BRING ON THE BIG FIGHTS!
Then there’s the WBA, where he sits at #4. The only three fighters ahead of him are Michael Hunter, Robert Helenius, and Hughie Fury. Hunter and Fury are set to fight on October 29, and Helenius is set to face former WBC champion Deontay Wilder on October 15. Ironically, Hunter and Bakole fought back in 2018, with Hunter winning that fight by a tenth round TKO. Needless to say, revenge could be on the mind of Bakole.
Regardless of who he fights next, Martin Bakole has put himself into prime position for relevant fights. As he showed in his fight with Yoka, his power and skills should be respected. It’ll be interesting to see who he locks horns with in his next fight.
By: Jerrell Fletcher
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