- Efe Ajagba and Martin Bakole set for a heavyweight showdown on May 3 in Riyadh.
- Bakole looks to bounce back from a knockout loss, while Ajagba seeks his sixth straight win.
- The fight will feature on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez’s championship bout.
Heavyweight contenders Efe Ajagba and Martin Bakole will now clash on May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after their originally scheduled New York showdown was rescheduled. The fight will take place on the undercard of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s super middleweight championship bout.
The change follows Bakole’s brutal second-round knockout loss to Joseph Parker in February, where he stepped in as a late replacement for an ill Daniel Dubois. Despite the setback, the Congolese fighter quickly accepted the challenge against Nigeria’s Ajagba, holding on to his top-five ranking in multiple heavyweight standings.
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An official confirmed to BoxingScene that the fight has been added to the high-profile Saudi Arabian boxing event, further elevating its significance.
Bakole (21-2, 16 KOs) will be aiming to bounce back from his recent defeat, while Ajagba (20-1, 14 KOs) enters the ring riding a five-fight winning streak since his only professional loss.
Two-time world champion Anthony Joshua has backed Bakole to recover, stating: “Bakole believes in himself, and he’s got every right to. He’s a serious fighter. That loss isn’t the end—this is the heavyweight division.”
However, Joshua also voiced his support for Ajagba, his fellow Nigerian, to win the fight.
Bakole previously impressed with a fifth-round knockout of then-unbeaten American prospect Jared Anderson last August, while Ajagba has steadily built momentum in the division.
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Nicknamed ‘The Silent Roller,’ Ajagba has already stoked the rivalry, taunting Bakole on Instagram by promising to “whoop your ass the Naija way.”
The rescheduled showdown presents a pivotal moment for both fighters to stake their claim in the highly competitive heavyweight division. With both men possessing knockout power, fireworks are expected in Riyadh.
The fight will be part of a stacked card headlined by Canelo Alvarez, who looks to solidify his status as the undisputed super middleweight champion.
