THE IBF has scheduled a November 5 deadline date for purse bids to determine the right to stage Martin Bakole vs. Agit Kabayel. However, the clash seems to suit all parties, so things could be thrashed out successfully before that date.
Bakole has rebuilt his career well since a loss to Michael Hunter and looked every ounce the power-punching beast when dismantling Jared Anderson in his last outing. Kabayel is also an avoided heavyweight who goes about his work a little differently. Methodical body-centred breakdowns of Arslanbek Makhmudov and Frank Sanchez have propelled the German into a fringe player.
This fight is an eliminator for Daniel Dubois’ IBF heavyweight world title. Whether they’ll face Dubois is another matter as he hovers around the potential for a money-spinning rematch with Anthony Joshua. Either way, Bakole and Kabayel have earned their stripes and deserve a crack at world honours.
Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bakole is 21-1 (16 KOs) as a 10-year pro. Now based in Scotland under trainer Billy Nelson, Martin is 32 years old, the same as Kabayel. Slightly shorter, the Bochum resident holds a 25-0 (17 KOs) record and has reigned as European heavyweight champion.
It feels like the kind of clash that could end up as part of a stacked Saudi undercard, with the winner emerging as a verified player to the men at the top or picking up a vacant strap should the titles fragment post-Usyk-Fury 2.