First stoppage in Tony Yoka’s career. The 2016 Olympic champion, unbeaten until then, lost on points, by split decision of the judges, this Saturday evening at the Accor Hotel Arena by the Congolese Martin Bakole and his 125.6 kg.
Faced with this solid and powerful opponent, the 30-year-old Frenchman, for whom it was the first fight for eight months, showed a lot of courage, took a lot of blows, nevertheless going to the end of the 10 rounds, but he suffered the law of his challenger who has only known defeat once in 19 fights for 72% of victories before the limit.
“Martin was stronger than me in the ring. It’s time to go back to work and go and change some things, “assumed Yoka after the fight, aware of his limits against an opponent who is also ambitious who has only known defeat once in 18 fights for 72. % of wins before the limit.
In difficulty from the first round, passed even close to the KO, Yoka, long mocked for the weak pedigree of his opponents, fought for the first time a boxer better ranked than him. At 30, he now has eleven successes for one defeat.