This is a fight that will make boxing fans salivate. French heavyweight Tony Yoka, absent from the rings since his defeat against Martin Bakole last May, will face veteran Carlos Takam on March 11 in Paris, he announced on Monday in an interview with Canal +. “He’s a very serious opponent, we’ll say he’s a gateway to the world top 10,” Yoka, 30, said of his compatriot.
Carlos Takam, 42, is a very experienced boxer (39 wins, including 28 before the limit, 1 draw, 7 defeats). He remains on two defeats, one on points against the Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov last September, and a loss against the Englishman Joe Joyce by stoppage of the referee on the 6th recovery, in July 2021.
But the native of Douala still represents a danger for the best boxers in his category. He had notably resisted well in 2017 against the Englishman Anthony Joshua, at the time WBA and IBF heavyweight champion, and had only been defeated in the 10th round when he had only had ten days to prepare. .
“Showing that the fight against Bakole was a mistake”
“He’s a very strong opponent, at least in terms of ranking and level, it’s potentially the strongest I’ve faced,” said the 2016 Olympic champion, who now has 11 victories, including 9 before the limit, for a defeat since his professional debut.
“That’s what the fans expect from me, to come back with panache, with a big fight, and show that the fight against Bakole was a mistake,” he continued. Yoka lost on points against the Congolese on May 14 at Bercy, suffering the first setback of his career.
“After the defeat, I wanted to take time for myself, disappear a little bit, reflect on what had been, what had not been. It took me time to swallow the defeat, to accept it, ”he admitted.