Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou is set to go down this Saturday, October 28. Safe to say, it has been rightfully named ‘Battle of the Baddest’. After months of delay, the fight has materialized and brought with it some exciting fights on the card, including Martin Bakole vs. Carlos Takam.
Previously, Takam called out Martin Bakole after his victory over Olympic gold medalist Tony Yoka earlier in 2023. Often referred to as the gatekeeper of the heavyweight division, Takam secured a decisive victory over Yoka. Following the win, Takam elected to call for a fight with Bakole, who he sees as a little brother.
ANNOUNCED 🚨
Carlos Takam will face Martin Bakole on the undercard Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou undercard, October 28th in Saudi Arabia.#FuryNgannou #TakamBakole #Boxing #BoxingNews pic.twitter.com/uUi2wyz2PM
— Muhammad Zain (@MCFCZain_) September 28, 2023
As fate would have had it, Takam’s wish in Paris has now led him to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Not only that but he has also found himself on one of the most anticipated cards of the year. Thus, all things considered, there will be a lot of eyes on this 10-round contest at the Boulevard Hall on Saturday night.
For those unaware, Martin Bakole has made a name for himself, securing 14 out of his 19 victories within the distance. Interestingly, Bakole has also secured a win against the aforementioned Tony Yoka. As for his last outing, Bakole claimed the vacant WBC International heavyweight title in a third-round victory over Ihor Shevadzutskyi in April 2023.
On the other hand, Carlos Takam is still proving to be a menace at the ripe age of 42. Although he has suffered big losses to the likes of Joseph Parker, Anthony Joshua, Derek Chisora, Joe Joyce, and others, he is still ready to prove a point. Moreover, his win over Tony Yoka seemingly lit a fire under him, one that will surely test Bakole’s resolve.
Martin Bakole vs. Carlos Takam stats and records
Stats | Martin Bakole | Carlos Takam |
Wins | 19 | 40 |
Loss | 1 | 7 |
Height | 6 ft 5 in | 6 ft 2 in |
Weight | NA | NA |
Age | 30 | 42 |
Martin Bakole vs. Carlos Takam fight prediction
For the most part, Martin Bakole is a clear and obvious favorite for this fight. With age on his side along with a higher finish rate, (70%) Bakole is expected to have a good performance against a waning Carlos Takam. However, in the world of combat sports, no fight is truly over before it’s over. Thus, despite many writing him off already, Takam has more than a puncher’s chance to pull off an upset.
Following a loss to Michael Hunter in 2018, Bakole has been in impeccable form. As such, six of his eight victories since then have come by way of KO/TKO. Thus, the fighter from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is on a mean streak of form right now, which could be bad news for Takam. Having been susceptible to big overhands in the past, the French veteran is sure to get tested in this fight.
With that said, Takam does have a small reach advantage to try and construct a game plan around. However, Bakole is still the more well-rounded fighter out of the two and is already surging up the WBA rankings. Thus, if Martin puts in another solid performance, it would boost his stock even higher. All things considered, Martin Bakole vs. Carlos Takam will be fun to watch regardless.