Who is Martin Bakole? Everything you need to know about the boxer replacing Daniel Dubois against Joseph Parker at Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2

Martin Bakole recently stepped in on just 48 hours' notice, replacing Daniel Dubois to face Joseph Parker this weekend. 'Dynamite' was set to defend his IBF heavyweight title against Parker, but on Thursday, Dubois was ruled out due to illness. As a result, Bakole, who was originally set to face Efe Ajagba in an IBF title eliminator in May, was called upon as a last-minute replacement.

The showdown between Parker and Bakole is set to take place on the undercard of the highly anticipated undisputed light heavyweight rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol this Saturday at the anb Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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Who is Martin Bakole?

Martin Bakole is a 31-year-old Congolese boxer who made his professional debut in March 2014, earning a second-round TKO win against Cecil Smith.

Bakole went on to secure a 10-fight win streak, capturing the IBO Continental heavyweight title along the way. However, his unbeaten run came to an end in October 2018 when he suffered a 10th-round TKO loss to Michael Hunter.

Following his first professional setback, the Kananga native bounced back in dominant fashion, racking up a string of 10 consecutive victories. His impressive run included notable victories over Mariusz Wach, Kevin Johnson, and Tony Yoka, among others.

Bakole last stepped into the ring in August 2024, securing a dominant fifth-round knockout victory over Jared Anderson to claim the WBO International and vacant WBC-NABF heavyweight titles. He currently holds a 21-1 record, with 16 of his victories coming by way of knockout.

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WBO announces Joseph Parker will keep interim belt now set for defense against Martin Bakole

According to a recent report from The Ring, owned by Turki Alalshikh, Joseph Parker will keep his interim WBO heavyweight title and is set to defend it against Martin Bakole this weekend.

Parker’s initial matchup against Daniel Dubois included a condition allowing the New Zealander to retain his interim WBO heavyweight title until he stepped into the ring. At that point, the sanctioning body planned to withdraw the secondary belt from competition, as Parker was set to compete for the primary IBF championship.

However, with the IBF title no longer on the line against Bakole, that arrangement is no longer in effect. WBO President Gustavo Olivieri has officially sanctioned Parker’s bout against Bakole, ensuring the interim title remains at stake.