The IBF have ordered purse bids for Martin Bakole-Agit Kabayel for November 5, BoxingScene understands.
Bakole and Kabayel will contest the status of mandatory challenger to the heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois.
Germany’s Kabayel, 32, defeated Frank Sanchez in May on the undercard of Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Three months later in Los Angeles, Bakole, of the Democratic Republic of Congo and 32 years old, transformed his career by stopping Jared Anderson on the undercard of Ismail Madrimov-Terence Crawford.
Dubois then stopped Anthony Joshua in September, to make the first defence of his title – Kabayel-Sanchez, Madrimov-Crawford and Dubois-Joshua were all on Riyadh Season promotions – and had been expected to fight Joshua again, but most recently Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn insisted it is likelier that he will instead pursue a long sough-after contest with Tyson Fury.
“Be advised that the number-four rated Agit Kabayel and number-five rated Martin Bakole are the two highest-ranked available contenders in the IBF heavyweight division,” read a statement from the IBF earlier in October.
“In an effort to determine who the mandatory challenger will be, the IBF is ordering an elimination bout between Agit Kabayel and Martin Bakole for the number-one position. The winner will be number one and the mandatory challenger.”