"Nobody wanted to fight Bakole and nobody wanted to fight me, so we will meet," said Efe Ajagba (20-1, 14 KOs), who will cross gloves with Martin Bakole (21-2, 16 KOs) in Riyadh on May 3.
Initially it was supposed to be the final qualifying fight for the IBF world heavyweight title, but the Congolese agreed to go to the fight, unprepared, two days before the scheduled fight with Joseph Parker. As a result, Bakole lost early in the second round, so the International Boxing Federation management canceled the fight as a qualifier.
"I am looking forward to the upcoming fight. First I will beat him and then I will get in the ring with Usyk and Dubois. His loss to Parker doesn't give me extra confidence, as I'm preparing for a better version of Bakole, just in case. However, I believe I have everything in my arsenal to first beat him and then the current champions. I have the skills and power to become a champion and now I am working on my moves in the ring to become even better," Ajagba added.
