The IBF has ordered a final eliminator between Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba to determine a mandatory for heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois.
So far, two fighters, Agit Kabaiel and Zhilei Zhang, have opted not to face the dangerous puncher Bakole (20-1, 16 KOs) in an IBF-ordered title eliminator. So, now it’s Efe Ajagba’s turn. It will be interesting to see if he agrees to this fight.
Ajagba Next Up For Bakole
2016 Olympian Ajagba (20-1, 14 KOs) is ranked #7 with the IBF and has recent wins against Guido Vianello, Joseph Goodall, Zhan Kossobutskiy and Stephan Shaw. Ajagba, 30, has the punching power to defeat Bakole, but whether he can stay with him long enough to deliver his bombs is the big question.
#4 IBF Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs) destroyed America’s best young heavyweight, Jared Anderson, by a fifth-round KO last summer on August 3rd on a Riyadh Season card in Los Angeles.
Assuming the 6’6″ Ajagba takes the fight to Bakole, it should be fun for as long as it lasts. Bakole isn’t hard to hit, and Ajagba has more than enough power to knock him down if he can land something clean.
The only loss on Ajagba’s resume came against Cuban Frank Sanchez, losing a 10-round unanimous decision on October 9, 2021. Sanchez outboxed Ajagba, using angles and movement to escape. Bakole is not that kind of fighter. He has the old Sonny Liston style of standing and brawling with heavy shots.
What is interesting about Bakole is that he can generate so much power with punches that are not thrown quickly, and hit hard, even at close range. He can throw with power with arm punches, and he doesn’t need to bulk up like most heavyweights.
Martin can be beaten
Bakole is far from unbeatable, as we saw in his tenth round loss to Michael Hunter on October 13, 2018. Hunter was cautious in the first half of the fight, putting away Bakole’s power while still fresh and then he arrived. late to get the knockout.
Bakole has won his last ten fights since, albeit against street-type fighters. The one of the bunch was the hype job Jared Anderson, which Top Rank had carefully matched against the cans to strengthen him for a big money title.
Bakole exposed Jared as a fake, which wasn’t surprising to hardcore fans who knew what the deal was with that guy. It might be harder for Bakole to do the same to Ajagba because he has much more talent, power and chin. Again, if Ajabga can catch Bakole with one of his big shots, it will be night-night for him.
