Revealed: Martin Bakole’s weight after Daniel Dubois replacement LANDS in Saudi Arabia after answering late call up to face Joseph Parker
Martin Bakole has weighed in on arrival for his heavyweight title fight with Joseph Parker after the heavyweight touched down in Saudi Arabia.
Bakole arrived in Riyadh following an 11-hour journey from Congo and is due in the ring on Saturday evening against Parker.
The boxer weighed in for Mail Sport upon his arrival and came in at 22 stone and 7 pounds.
His opponent Parker had weighed in alone earlier in the day at a career heaviest 19st 1lb.
Parker had been due to face Daniel Dubois in a world heavyweight title fight, but the Brit pulled out of their bout with an illness on Thursday.
That left Bakole needing to make a mad dash just 36 hours before the contest having agreed to take on the New Zealander.
Martin Bakole has landed in Saudi Arabia after an 11-hour flight ahead of facing Joseph Parker
Martin Bakole has landed in Saudi Arabia after an 11-hour flight ahead of facing Joseph Parker
Bakole is due in the ring later on Saturday when he meets Parker in a heavyweight showdown
The 31-year-old needed to complete an 11-hour flight with two stops before touching down in Saudi Arabia’s capital city.
Bakole has had no training camp and hardly has any time to orient himself after his cross-continental journey from Congo.
The heavyweight had revealed on Friday morning to his social media followers that he had yet to leave Congo.
‘We got a phone call yesterday to propose the fight and I said: ‘I’m a soldier, I’m a soldier.’ I’m on a mission. So, I’m going to Saudi Arabia to fight, try to fight the best man, the man who has been in a camp for five or four months. We say yes and go and fight,’ Bakole wrote.
‘I would like to say thank you to Excellency. This means a lot to me, choosing me to replace Daniel Dubois. Big cards, big platform. I’m so grateful.’
