Top Heavyweight Boxers in the World

A Congolese heavyweight on the international stage

Martin Bakole is a heavyweight from the Democratic Republic of the Congo whose professional career has taken him into major fights in Britain, Europe, the United States and Saudi Arabia. He is 33 as of October 2026. His record stands at 21 wins, two losses and one draw, with sixteen knockout victories.

Bakole's boxing is built around pressure, a firm jab and combinations delivered at close range. His size is part of the challenge he presents, but the important victories in his career have required more than physical presence. Against leading opponents, he has had to close distance, sustain attacks and deal with fighters who try to keep him from establishing that rhythm.

Rebuilding after Michael Hunter

Michael Hunter handed Bakole his first professional defeat in 2018. That loss became a dividing point between his early progression and the rebuilding run that followed. The rebuilding period that followed brought him into a wider range of international fights.

Bakole subsequently earned victories against experienced heavyweights, including Mariusz Wach and Kevin Johnson. He also defeated Sergey Kuzmin on points. Those contests gave him a broader range of professional experience and restored momentum after the Hunter defeat.

The Johnson footage retained below belongs to that earlier stage of his career. It is presented as historical material, rather than a current announcement or evidence of a present promotional arrangement.

Yoka and Takam

In May 2022, Bakole travelled to Paris to face Tony Yoka, the 2016 Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist. Bakole won a ten-round majority decision, delivering a significant away victory over an unbeaten opponent whose amateur achievements had created high expectations.

He added another important result against Carlos Takam in Riyadh in October 2023, winning by fourth-round technical knockout. Yoka and Takam represented different tests: one a developing contender with elite amateur credentials, the other a veteran of major heavyweight fights. The victories strengthened Bakole's case for higher-level opportunities.

The Anderson breakthrough

Bakole met Jared Anderson in Los Angeles in August 2024. Anderson entered unbeaten and was widely regarded as a leading American prospect. Bakole secured a fifth-round stoppage, producing a career-defining victory and showing the effectiveness of his pressure against a younger opponent with considerable momentum.

That win brought greater international attention, but it did not confer a full world championship. Regional belts and rankings attached to major cards remain distinct from the division's principal world titles.

Parker and the Ajagba draw

In February 2025, Bakole faced Joseph Parker in Riyadh and lost by second-round technical knockout. The result was his second professional defeat. He then returned against Efe Ajagba on the May 2025 card at the ANB Arena.

Bakole and Ajagba completed ten rounds, with the judges returning a majority draw. The Bakole–Ajagba fight page carries that result. The event is commonly catalogued under May 3, while its late running time falls on May 4 in UTC; those calendar descriptions refer to the same completed fight.

Current record and activity

The Ajagba draw remains Bakole's last verified meaningful heavyweight result, with 21–2–1 and sixteen knockout wins retained. No official next bout has been established, so the next-fight display remains TBA. A period without a confirmed return is described neutrally; it is not evidence of retirement.

Older signing announcements and speculative opponent discussions do not establish a current contract, regulatory position or schedule. His biography records the fights he completed without turning unresolved promotional matters into claims about his eligibility or reasons for inactivity.