Nigerian heavyweight boxer Efe Ajagba will face Martin Bakole in an International Boxing Federation title eliminator bout in May, with the winner becoming the mandatory challenger for Daniel Dubois’ world heavyweight title, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The bout, set to take place in the United States, will feature on a stacked card organised by Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, alongside high-profile matchups including Ryan Garcia vs Rolando Romero and Devin Haney vs Jose Ramirez.
Ajagba, who boasts an impressive record of 20 wins and just one loss with 14 knockouts, recently fired a warning shot at his Congolese opponent by sharing footage of his devastating knockout victory over Brian Howard on social media.
“Lights out in seconds! Efe ‘The Silent Roller’ Ajagba doesn’t play when he steps in the ring. Who’s next?” the Nigerian heavyweight posted on Instagram.
The eliminator bout became possible after both Agit Kabayel and Zhilei Zhang withdrew from facing Bakole, opening the door for the seventh-ranked Ajagba to step in.
Bakole, who is ranked No. 4 in the IBF standings, has been in formidable form, particularly after his fifth-round demolition of previously unbeaten American prospect Jared Anderson in California last August.
“You don’t stand with Martin Bakole. I am a big man and I am a machine. No one wants to fight me,” declared the Congolese fighter, who holds a record of 21 victories, including 16 knockouts, against a single defeat.
Boxer promoter Ben Shalom believes the matchup promises fireworks, telling Sky Sports, “Fighting Martin Bakole, would you want your heavyweight fighting Martin Bakole? People have probably looked at the last few fights and seen what’s happened to Jared Anderson, and he can make very good fighters look very average.”
The stakes are particularly high as the winner will become mandatory challenger for Dubois, who defends his IBF heavyweight title against Joseph Parker on February 22.
A potential unification bout against the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury rematch could also be on the horizon for the eventual mandatory challenger.
Ajagba is currently riding a five-bout winning streak since his lone career defeat to Frank Sanchez in 2021, with his most recent victory coming via split decision against Italian Olympian Guido Vianello.