Martin Bakole was lucky to walk away with a draw in his recent match against Efe Ajagba, and fans are beginning to think he may not be the boogeyman he was painted out to be.
Martin Bakole brutally stopped Jared Anderson last year and was instantly touted as the next fear-inducing boogeyman of the division.
His big win, paired with countless sparring stories and rumors of him dropping Oleksandr Usyk himself, only fuelled fans’ disappointment when the Congolese boxer was stopped in two rounds by Joseph Parker.
Given he fought on just a few hours’ notice, fans believed Bakole could bounce back from the defeat and resume his campaign as a dangerous force in the division, but as soon as he stepped on the scales ahead of his fight with Efe Ajagba, this went out the window.
Billy Nelson reveals strange reason Martin Bakole weighed 299 pounds against Efe Ajagba
In an interview with The Ring, Bakole’s trainer, Billy Nelson, said: “Whether Martin likes it or not we’re getting a nutritionist.”
He expanded on what went wrong with Bakole’s weight, and why he only lost 11 pounds between his fight with Parker, which he had no time to prepare for, and his fight with Ajagba, who beat Deontay Wilder’s next opponent, which he had months to get ready for.
“What people don’t understand is Martin’s a vegetarian and he’s a bit stubborn. […] He doesn’t eat much British food.”
Nelson explained that Bakole opts to buy Congolese food from a specific shop in Glasgow, and avoids British foods and, of course, meats.
He concluded: “He’s got to be stricter, much, much more stricter and more disciplined with himself.”
Bakole and Ajagba fought to a majority decision draw on the undercard of Canelo vs Scull, which set the record for fewest punches in a 12-round fight. The one scorecard that didn’t score it a draw was in favor of Ajagba.
Martin Bakole destroyed the career of a promising Olympian
Back in 2022, Bakole faced 2016 Olympic gold medalist and 11-0 professional Tony Yoka in Paris.
In front of his hometown, Yoka was defeated by Bakole by majority decision, suffering his first loss. Little did he know this would be the beginning of a career-defining downward trajectory.
Yoka followed the loss with a fight with Carlos Takam, though seemed hesitant and did not do enough to secure the victory, losing on a split decision.
After two back-to-back losses, Yoka entered a must-win contest with Ryad Merhy, but again failed to impress, losing another split decision.
Since these losses, he has accrued two wins against opponents with losing records in leisure centers in England, and it is unclear whether he will ever reach the heights he aspired to as a professional.