The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has confirmed that the fight between DR Congo’s Martin Bakole and Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba, scheduled to be held in May in New York, will continue. However, the fight’s winner will no longer be in line to face the heavyweight champion, Daniel Dubois, Bold Sports reports.
The IBF in 2024 had mandated Bakole to fight Ajagba in a heavyweight eliminator bout with the winner expected to face defending champion Daniel Dubois, however, the status according to IBF per Ring Magazine has changed after Bakole’s second-round brutal knockout loss to New Zealand’s Joseph Parker over the weekend.
Bakole stepped in with less than a 48-hour notice to fight Parker who had been scheduled to face Dubois in Saudi Arabia over the weekend. Dubois had fallen ill on Thursday with his doctors advising that he pull out of the bout.
Bakole’s lack of preparation was evident as he had been visiting family in DR Congo and was no match for Parker who had been in camp for several months in anticipation of a clash with Dubois.
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According to the Ring Magazine, “a new IBF heavyweight title eliminator will be assigned, though the participants were not yet established,” the respected boxing publication wrote.
“However, the winner is no longer in line to become the mandatory challenger to current IBF heavyweight titlist Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs).
“That status changed after Bakole suffered a second-round knockout loss in a late-accepted assignment against Joseph Parker (36-3, 24 KOs), The Ring’s No. 3 heavyweight contender, this past Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”
Bakole on the other hand has vowed to get back to the gym, focus on the fight against Ajagba in May and bounce back stronger. The hard-hitting DR Congo pugilist is ranked No. 6 contender by Ring Magazine while Ajagba is ranked No. 10.
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