IBF blow for Ajagba as Bakole battles Parker

• Published On: 22 February 2025 at 20:22

Nigerian heavyweight boxer Efe Ajagba's highly anticipated International Boxing Federation title eliminator against Martin Bakole is now seriously doubtful after the Congolese fighter agreed to replace ill champion Daniel Dubois against Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.

Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs), who was supposed to face Ajagba in New York in May, will now replace Dubois, who was forced to withdraw from his IBF heavyweight title defence due to illness just two days before the fight.

The unexpected change has thrown the planned IBF eliminator into disarray, with boxing insiders wondering if the Ajagba-Bakole fight can still go ahead as planned in less than three months.

According to Ring Magazine, the IBF is now unsure how to proceed with picking their mandatory challenger in light of these developments, particularly since the winner of Ajagba vs Bakole was supposed to challenge Dubois for the world title.



Dubois, 27, who stunned Anthony Joshua in five rounds at Wembley Stadium in September, was scheduled to make his second defence of the IBF title he won after Oleksandr Usyk vacated it.

The British champion was medically evaluated in Saudi Arabia and did not attend Thursday's news conference before officially withdrawing later that evening.

"If he is ill, I hope he gets better soon, and I'm looking forward to Saturday and having a great show," Parker told reporters before learning Bakole would take over as his replacement.


The highly regarded 33-year-old Bakole, who is based in Scotland, has emerged as one of the division's most feared heavyweights, particularly after an impressive fifth-round knockout of previously unbeaten American prospect Jared Anderson in California last August.

After the victory, Bakole declared, "You do not stand with Martin Bakole. I'm a big man and a machine. "Nobody wants to fight me."

Prior to Bakole's announcement as Dubois' replacement, former cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie, heavyweight contender David Adeleye, and unbeaten Mourad Aliev were all considered potential Parker opponents.

Some boxing experts believe Bakole's decision to face Parker rather than Ajagba was a riskier move, as the Congolese fighter was thought to be stronger and more experienced than the Nigerian, making the Ajagba fight potentially an easier path to a title shot.

Ajagba, who has an impressive record of 20 wins, one loss, and 14 knockouts, had been in a confident mood ahead of the proposed eliminator, taunting Bakole on Instagram with the message, "Coming to woop your as* the Naija way."

The 'Silent Roller' has won his last five fights since his lone professional defeat to Frank Sanchez in October 2021, and he was preparing for what would have been his biggest opportunity to date.

The IBF eliminator was scheduled to appear on a stacked card put together by Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, alongside high-profile fights like Ryan Garcia vs Rolando Romero and Devin Haney vs Jose Ramirez.


The International Boxing Federation recently cancelled the Ajagba-Bakole purse bid hearing, allowing promoters BOXXER and Top Rank to negotiate terms for their fighters privately.

However, with Bakole now facing Parker, who has defeated other power punchers such as Deontay Wilder and China's Zhilei Zhang, the Nigerian's world title path is uncertain until Saturday's fight in Riyadh.