Bakole–Kabayel IBF Eliminator Falls Apart
In October 2024, the IBF ordered Martin Bakole and Agit Kabayel to meet in a final eliminator for a shot at Daniel Dubois. Kabayel later withdrew, and the IBF turned to Zhilei Zhang as a possible opponent for Bakole, according to Sky Sports. The proposed bout was not held.
The Road to the Title Shot
In 2024, British fighter Daniel Dubois, then 27, was elevated to full IBF world champion status in June after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the title. The young champion successfully defended his belt in a clash against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium on September 21, 2024, solidifying his position at the top of the division.
The Contenders
Martin Bakole
The 31-year-old Cameroonian-born, Scotland-based fighter has been on a tear since his lone defeat in 2018. Bakole has racked up ten consecutive victories, including impressive upsets over Olympic silver medalist Tony Yoka and rising American star Jared Anderson. His power and resilience make him a formidable opponent in the heavyweight ranks.
Agit Kabayel
At the time of the October 2024 report, the 32-year-old Kabayel was 25-0 with 17 knockouts. He later stopped Zhilei Zhang in the sixth round on February 22, 2025, to win the interim WBC heavyweight title, according to the WBC.
Implications for Dubois
The planned Bakole-Kabayel eliminator never determined Dubois’ next mandatory challenger. Bakole instead faced Joseph Parker as a late replacement in February 2025, while Kabayel fought Zhang on the same card.
What Happened Next
The proposed Bakole-Kabayel bout never took place. Bakole replaced Dubois against Parker in February 2025, and Kabayel fought Zhang on the same card. The IBF eliminator therefore did not produce a mandatory challenger.
Dubois fought Anthony Joshua in September 2024 and defeated him by fifth-round knockout. In February 2025, Bakole replaced the ill Dubois against Parker, while Kabayel stopped Zhang for the interim WBC title.
The proposed eliminator was overtaken by the February 2025 results: Parker stopped Bakole, while Kabayel stopped Zhang.
Citations:
[1] https://sports.yahoo.com/eliminator-decide-dubois-world-title-102721664.html
[2] https://sugarbertboxing.com/ibf-declares-dubois-mandatory-challenger-for-usyks-heavyweight-title/
[3] https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/41312178/anthony-joshua-daniel-dubois-jaime-munguia-erik-bazinyan-how-watch-stream-heavyweight-boxing-title-fight
[4] https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/articles/ckg2xj7r7nlo
[5] https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/sep/18/anthony-joshua-daniel-dubois-mandatory-challenger-system
[6] https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2024/sep/21/daniel-dubois-v-anthony-joshua-ibf-heavyweight-championship-live
[7] https://www.essentiallysports.com/boxing-news-ibfs-order-puts-daniel-dubois-rematch-in-jeopardy-for-anthony-joshua/
Sources
Tags: Wrestling, Olympic Wrestling
