Promoter Ben Shalmom says his fighter, #4 IBF-ranked Martin Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs), is ready to be the opponent for IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs ) to defend on February 22. in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Anthony Joshua and his team chose not to take the rematch with Dubois in February, leaving the IBF champion in need of a challenger for his February 22 defense.
The IBF ordered Bakole to face a #3 Agit Kabayel in a title eliminator to determine a mandatory for Dubois. However, Bakole is ready to go straight into the Dubois fight as the voluntary challenger if the champion is interested in facing him.
Joseph Parker was mentioned as one of the possible opponents Dubois and his team are considering. It wouldn’t be an interesting opponent for Dubois like Bakole, 31, because Parker’s defense involved a lot of chasing around the ring. Parker has become a defensive fighter and not fun to fight because of his movement.
“Martin Bakole is ready to face Daniel Dubois next. If they are looking for an opponent for Daniel for February, Martin is ready to intervene,” said Ben Shalom to Sky Sports News on his fighter, Martin Bakole, who is set to challenge Daniel Dubois for his IBF heavyweight title on February 22.
Shalom feels that Bakole is ready to dethrone Dubois now if given the chance as he has all the physical weapons on offense to win this fight. Bakole possesses Foreman-esque explosive power that will give Dubois problems, and he can take his power shots.
He would not be on the defensive as Joshua was on September 21 at Wembley Stadium. Dubois looked like a wolf stalking his prey that night, and eventually pinned Joshua to knock him out in the fifth round in front of 90,000+ fans.
The Congo-born Bakole has won ten straight fights since suffering his lone career defeat, a 10th-round knockout to Michael Hunter on October 13, 2018. In Bakole’s last fight, he defeated American heavyweight Jared Anderson in the fifth round. on August 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Bakole dropped Anderson once in the first round and twice more in the fifth round to get the knockout.
“He (Bakole) beat Daniel Dubois, and then he can unify the division. I’m not surprised that AJ doesn’t want to fight again after that – but Martin Bakole is another animal. He will be too strong and too skilled for Dubois.
Shalom says the plan is for Bakole to defeat IBF champion Dubois and then fight for the undisputed championship against whoever holds the other three belts. At this time, Oleksandr Usyk holds the other three belts.
Bakole’s previous fight was in Riyadh, where he defeated former world title challenger Carlos Takam in the fourth round on October 28, 2023.
If Dubois chooses not to face Bakole next, the Congolese fighter will go ahead with his International Boxing Federation-ordered title eliminator against #3 Agit Kabayel. The winner of that fight would be the mandatory for Dubois.
Fans on social media believe that Bakole is a dangerous opponent for Dubois, because of his power, punch resistance, and experience. I feel Dubois might lose. A poster on X he said Bakole doesn’t need to “load on the punches” and he “punches very hard”. Where Joshua fell short against Dubois was in the chin department, and he telegraphed his power shots. Bakole does not do that.
Dubois’ promoters didn’t want to take a risk like this to match him up against a fighter like Bakole, as this guy looked unbeatable in his last two fights. Of course, it would be good in the eyes of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh if Dubois was confronted with Bakole. He likes to see great matchups.
