Nigerian heavyweight boxer Efe Ajagba believes he possesses all the necessary qualities to become a world champion as he sets his sights on the biggest names in the division ahead of his upcoming fight.
The hard-hitting Nigerian is due to fight Martin Bakole on the undercard of Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez’s undisputed world super-middleweight championship fight against William Scull in Saudi Arabia on May 4.
The 30-year-old hopes to stake his claim for a world heavyweight title fight when he takes on Bakole and admits his long-term goal is a title challenge against unified champion Oleksandr Usyk or IBF title holder Daniel Dubois.
Bakole’s last fight came when he stepped in at two days’ notice to fight Joseph Parker after Dubois withdrew due to illness, but the Congolese contender suffered a second-round knockout loss.
Despite the manner of Bakole’s crushing defeat, Ajagba insists he is still wary of the threat posed by his opponent, who has beaten the likes of Jared Anderson, Tony Yoka and Carlos Takam.
Ajagba has been in impressive form, winning his last five fights since his lone professional defeat to Frank Sanchez in October 2021. The Nigerian, who holds an impressive record of 20-1 with 14 knockouts, has intensified his preparation ahead of the bout.
The heavyweight was spotted training with British heavyweight Johnny Fisher, nicknamed ‘The Romford Bull’, as he fine-tunes his strategy for the crucial bout that could significantly impact his standing in the heavyweight division.
The highly anticipated heavyweight clash, originally scheduled to take place in New York, will now feature on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez’s super middleweight championship match against William Scull in Saudi Arabia.
