Heavyweight contender Martin Bakole continues to push for some big, career-defining fights as his trainer claims there is only one other man in the division who could beat him.
The Congolese fighter is now 37 years old and has had 20 fights, winning 15 of them by knockout. His best performance came against Carlos Takam in October while he has also beaten former Olympian Tony Yoka, and veteran journeyman Kevin Johnson.
His only loss was to Michael Hunter by stoppage back in 2018. Bakole’s trainer Billy Nelson has always been his biggest advocate and now, speaking to Seconds Out, was asked if he expected a world title shot to come this year.
“I think there’s an outside chance, but the probability will be 2025.”
He was then asked who it might be against.
“I really don’t care. I believe only one person is capable of beating Martin now and that’s Tyson Fury and it’ll be a super tight fight.”
He then backed his man having seen what he had done in sparring to some of the world’s best.
“I believe on his A-game Martin will beat everybody else in the world. I’ve seen what he’s done to multiple other top contenders and in a lot of cases leading them into a false sense of security and then giving it to them.”
Bakole is famously said to have stopped Oleksandr Usyk with a body shot while the pair were sparring. Should Usyk win his undisputed fight with Fury on February 17, that may be one of his routes to a world title fight.
