‘If that happens I’ll be so happy’: Bakole looks towards December fight with Zhang

Martin Bakole hopes to land big fight with Zhilei Zhang in a proposed fight that could take place in China.

Following Martin Bakole’s emphatic stoppage win over Jared Anderson earlier this month, there’s already some preliminary thoughts on his next outing, with Turki Alalshikh reportedly looking to match him against Zhilei Zhang. If that’s something Alalshikh wants to pursue, Bakole tells Sky Sports that he’s fully on board.

“I would love to fight big Zhang in December in China,” Bakole told Sky Sports. “I heard His Excellency wanted to make the fight in China so that’s the fight I’m looking for. If that happens I’ll be so happy.”

Bakole’s promoter, Ben Shalom, would add that a fight against Zhang would be a surefire thriller for boxing fans, and one that could have big ramifications for the future of the division.

Zhang is most recently coming off of a stoppage win over Deontay Wilder in June and has seen his stock rise significantly after back-to-back wins over Joe Joyce, and even despite a loss to Joseph Parker in March he proved to bounce back strong.

A fight between Bakole and Zhang would be a clear banger for as long as it lasts, and given that almost everyone seems to be on board with the notion, hopefully this fight gains official traction in short order.