17 Facts About Martin Bakole

Martin Bakole Ilunga was born on 1 June 1993 and is a Congolese professional boxer.

Martin Bakole has challenged once for the WBO interim heavyweight title in February 2025.

Martin Bakole is the younger brother of former cruiserweight boxing world champion, Ilunga Makabu.

Martin Bakole successfully defended the title in his next fight with a first-round TKO against DL Jones on 23 June 2018 at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow.

Martin Bakole next fought former Olympian and cruiserweight world title challenger Michael Hunter for the vacant IBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title on 13 October 2018 at the York Hall, London.

The first few rounds were evenly contested with Martin Bakole walking his American opponent down while Hunter remained on the back foot, utilising movement and picking his moments to throw combinations.

Towards the end of the seventh, Martin Bakole landed a powerful right hand that stunned Hunter, causing the former cruiserweight to hold in the clinch.

Martin Bakole won the fight via eighth-round TKO in a scheduled ten-round bout.

Towards the end of the fifth, Martin Bakole landed several punches to his opponent's head, leaving Wach on unsteady legs as he walked back to his corner.

Martin Bakole came back in the seventh to repeat his performance of previous rounds, putting together combinations and landing punches to the head of Wach.

In what was a one-sided affair, Martin Bakole won by fifth-round TKO in a scheduled eight-round bout after referee Ron Kearney waved off the fight following Johnson being on the receiving end of several unanswered punches, handing the durable veteran boxer the third stoppage defeat of his career.

Martin Bakole was scheduled to face Jared Anderson at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on August 3,2024.

Martin Bakole won the WBO International and the vacant WBO-NABO heavyweight titles in his victory.

Martin Bakole faced Joseph Parker in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 22,2025, taking the fight on just two days notice as a replacement for Daniel Dubois.

Martin Bakole lost the fight by a second round TKO.

In 2016, Martin Bakole relocated to Greengairs where he is coached by Billy Nelson.

Martin Bakole's first child, a son named Martin Jr, was born in 2020.