Joseph Parker will face Martin Bakole this Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after Daniel Dubois pulled out of their IBF heavyweight title fight due to illness.
The change happened quickly. On Thursday, news broke that Dubois couldn't make the fight because he was sick. A doctor checked him out, and it was clear he wouldn't be able to compete.
With Parker left without an opponent, the search began for a replacement. They didn't have to look far. Martin Bakole, often called the most avoided heavyweight, stepped up to take the fight on short notice.
Bakole's trainer, Billy Nelson, made it known on social media that his fighter was ready to go. He posted:
@MartinBakole01 has his bags ready @Turki_alalshikh we are ready to replace Daniel no problem. We have instructed our promoter to tell the appropriate people that @MartinBakole01 is ready to fly to Saudi Arabia to fight Joe Parker, no problem whatsoever.
By Saturday night, it was confirmed that Bakole would step in to face Parker.
This fight comes at a good time for Bakole. He's coming off a big win, knocking out Jared Anderson in the fifth round last August in Los Angeles. Before this opportunity came up, he was set to fight Efe Ajagba in an IBF final eliminator in May.
Now, Bakole has a chance to make a big splash. If he beats Parker, he could earn a straight shot at Dubois' IBF heavyweight title.
The Parker-Bakole fight will take place on the undercard of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol rematch. It's a big opportunity for both fighters to show what they can do on a major stage.
