Efe Ajagba Set For World Title Eliminator Bout Vs Martin Bakole

Efe Ajagba Set For World Title Eliminator Bout Vs Martin Bakole

By Admin

Boxer promoter Ben Shalom believes a heavyweight clash between Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba and Martin Bakole would be “a great fight” as both camps work towards finalising the IBF title eliminator bout.

According to PUNCH Sports Extra, the IBF has ordered No.4-ranked Bakole to face No.7-ranked Ajagba after both Agit Kabayel and Zhilei Zhang opted to face each other instead of the Congolese fighter, leaving him without an opponent for his next fight.

“That’s a fight that we’d like to put on,” Shalom said.

“Obviously Martin’s fought on Riyadh Season cards and I’m sure they’d be interested again, but it’s a fight we’d like to put on, more because he’s one fight away now from fighting for a world title.”

Ajagba, who boasts a record of 20-1 with 14 knockouts, is coming off a career-best split decision victory over Guido Vianello and has already signalled his readiness for the bout with a confident “Let’s go” on social media.

The Nigerian heavyweight, nicknamed “The Silent Roller,” earned the WBC silver title earlier this year and is promoted by Top Rank, who according to Shalom, are eager to make the fight happen.

“Ajagba’s a great fight and I believe, from speaking to Top Rank, that it’s a fight that they would not be ducking out of,” Shalom added.

Bakole’s stock has risen considerably following his fifth-round demolition of previously unbeaten American prospect Jared Anderson in California last August, after which he declared, “You don’t stand with Martin Bakole. I am a big man, and I am a machine. No one wants to fight me.”

The winner of the bout will become the mandatory challenger for IBF champion Daniel Dubois, who is scheduled for an optional title defence in February, with a potential unification bout against the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury rematch on the horizon.

“Fighting Martin Bakole, would you want your heavyweight fighting Martin Bakole? People have probably looked at the last few fights and seen what’s happened to Jared Anderson, and he can make very good fighters look very average,” Shalom noted.

“Once he gets his world title, it will be impossible to avoid him.”

With both fighters known for their heavy hands – each boasting 14 knockouts on their records – the clash promises to be an explosive encounter between two of boxing’s emerging heavyweight forces.