Ben Shalom, promoter of Martin Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs), said in an interview with talkSPORT that he expects his protégé to face Zhang Zhilei (27-2-1, 22 KOs) in his next fight. Earlier, Turki Al Al-Sheikh expressed great interest in organizing this fight, stating in an interview that he would like this meeting to take place in December, in China or Congo.
In early August, Bakole earned an early win over Jared Anderson. In his last professional appearance, Zhang scored an early win over Deontay Wilder.