Bakole stepped in to replace Daniel Dubois, the IBF world title holder, who had to pull out due to illness. Dubois came down with a virus, leaving the organizers scrambling for a replacement.
At first, Bakole didn't think he could make it. He was in Congo when he got the call from his coach, Billy. In an interview with Seconds Out, Bakole explained how the opportunity came about:
"Coach Billy called me and said Daniel Dubois is off, he's sick and they asked me if you can replace him if you can make it from Congo to Saudi Arabia. I said stop joking, I said that's not possible. He said you have two options. His Excellency promised us three fights this year and he said you're the only man who can save the show. It's a risk, you're not in the camp, but there's the money and there's risk, you choose. I need money and the money was good so I said yes, I'm ready to go."
Bakole's recent achievements made him a strong candidate. He had stopped Carlos Takam and Jared Anderson, and he's known as a tough sparring partner. The promise of three fights this year from the organizers and the good money offered swayed his decision.
Despite troubling Parker early on, Bakole couldn't maintain his advantage. Parker, who had a full training camp, landed a big right hand in the second round. The punch sent Bakole to the canvas. Although Bakole got up on steady legs, the referee stopped the fight, giving Parker the win.
This fight shows how quickly things can change in boxing. Bakole took a big risk by accepting the fight on such short notice, while Parker showed his experience by adapting to a new opponent and securing a quick victory.