Eric Patrick
In a highly anticipated matchup, Nigerian heavyweight Efe Ajagba faced Congolese contender Martin Bakole in a thrilling bout that ended in a majority draw on Sunday morning in Saudi Arabia.
After 10 intense rounds at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, the judges scored the fight 95-95, 94-96, and 95-95 — with one judge slightly favouring Ajagba while the other two called it even.
The result surprised many boxing analysts who had tipped Bakole as the slight favourite going into the fight.
The fight, part of the undercard for Canelo Álvarez’s clash with William Scull, had high stakes for both fighters.
For Bakole, it was an opportunity to find redemption following a devastating second-round knockout defeat against Joseph Parker earlier this year.
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At the same time, Ajagba aimed to build on his remarkable five-fight winning streak, which followed his only professional loss to Frank Sánchez in October 2021.
Despite bookmakers favouring Bakole with odds of 1.27 (-400) compared to Ajagba’s 3.30 (+330), the Nigerian proved his resilience in a fight that could have tipped either way.
The bout marked a crucial juncture for both fighters in their pursuit of a world title shot in a division currently ruled by unified champion Oleksandr Usyk and IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois.
While the majority draw result leaves both boxers with unfinished business, their aspirations remain alive in the competitive heavyweight landscape.
