Parker, who's had a full training camp, will step into the ring against Bakole, a big-punching heavyweight from Congo. Bakole jumped at the chance to fight despite not having a focused training camp for Parker specifically.
Tony Bellew, a former world champion turned pundit, shared his thoughts on the matchup with DAZN. He praised both fighters for stepping up on short notice.
"Listen, credit to both men for stepping up and keeping this amazing because this is a brilliant fight that has been put together at the last minute. Parker should have too much in this due to his experience and also the fact he's got a full camp behind him that I believe has gone very well."
Bellew thinks Parker's experience and full training camp give him the edge. But he warns that Bakole poses a real threat, especially early in the fight.
"Bakole will be extremely dangerous in the first half of the fight, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him treat this like a four round fight and just go out and empty the tank for an early stoppage. That might be his best route to victory because fighting Parker on such short notice for 12 rounds is going to be very hard."
The former champ expects an exciting bout, adding:
"This has everything to be a great fight though, and once again, I respect both men so much for stepping up."
Parker vs Bakole will serve as the co-main event to the undisputed light-heavyweight rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. The card promises to deliver high-stakes action for boxing fans around the world.