The much-anticipated International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight title eliminator between Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba and Democratic Republic of Congo’s Martin Bakole has been postponed to a later date following February. Initially scheduled for February 22 as part of the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol rematch card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the bout will now headline the next major Riyadh Season event, according to Carl Moretti, vice president of Top Rank.
This critical showdown between Ajagba (20-1, 14 KOs) and Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs) will determine the mandatory challenger for IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois. Dubois is set to defend his title against Joseph Parker on the same February 22 card.
Martin Bakole comes into the fight with momentum, following a stunning fifth-round stoppage victory over Jared Anderson in August. Promoter Ben Shalom of Boxxer highlighted the importance of the fight, saying, “He’s one fight away now from fighting for a world title.”
Efe Ajagba, known as “The Silent Roller,” recently secured a career-defining split-decision win over Guido Vianello. Ajagba has expressed confidence and readiness for the clash, while Bakole, buoyed by his recent success, boldly declared himself “a machine” after dismantling Anderson.
Ranked third and fifth by the IBF respectively, Bakole and Ajagba are vying for a shot at either Dubois or the eventual winner of a potential unification bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
Although there were initial rumors of hosting the fight in Africa, it has now been confirmed that Riyadh will remain the venue. Fans eagerly await the final date for this pivotal heavyweight eliminator, which promises to shape the future of the division.