The battle for Africa’s top heavyweight honors remains unresolved after Nigerian powerhouse Efe Ajagba and DR Congo’s Martin Bakole fought to a 10-round majority draw on Saturday night at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Both fighters had declared their intentions ahead of the bout—not just to advance their world title ambitions, but to cement themselves as the continent’s No. 1 heavyweight. Yet after judges Bob Williams and Pablo Gonzalez scored the contest 95-95, with only Kieran McCann edging it 96-94 for Ajagba, neither man walked away with a definitive win.
A Tactical Start
Ajagba (20-1-1, 14 KOs), the lighter man by nearly 60 pounds, used movement and ringcraft to frustrate the heavier Bakole (21-2-1, 16 KOs), staying mostly on the outside in the opening rounds. Despite a quiet start, Ajagba landed a clean right hand late in the first round that Bakole absorbed well.
In the second, the pace remained slow as both fighters tried to find their rhythm. Ajagba continued to pick his spots while Bakole pressed forward. The third round saw Ajagba land several crisp counter rights, but a late surge from Bakole ending with a heavy left hook had Ajagba covering up on the ropes.
Mid-Round Momentum Swings
Bakole kept the pressure on in the fourth, finding success with more hooks as he tried to break Ajagba down. Still, Ajagba’s counters kept the Congolese fighter from fully taking control. The fifth round slowed, but Ajagba snuck in another well-timed right.
By the sixth, Bakole’s frustration boiled over. After failing to trap Ajagba, he barked at him mid-round: “F**k you, man. Fight me.” The pattern continued in the seventh and eighth—Ajagba circling, Bakole chasing. The eighth briefly sparked to life when Bakole cornered his opponent and landed a damaging left hook before the bell halted his momentum.
Closing Rounds: Pressure vs. Evasion
The ninth round saw Ajagba again retreat to the ropes, where Bakole worked the body and looked for openings with uppercuts. The Congolese heavyweight kept up the pressure in the tenth, landing another solid left hook—but Ajagba remained elusive, dancing out of danger in the final minute.
Post-Fight Reactions
Both fighters believed they had done enough to win.
“I won the fight, to be honest,” said Ajagba. “But it’s the judges’ decision. If you ask me, I won.”
Bakole disagreed: “I thought I won the fight, but it is what it is. I will ask His Excellency if I can have the rematch.”
Bakole entered the ring in a t-shirt reading “RIP George Foreman,” paying homage to the late heavyweight legend. The DR Congo native honored his homeland’s historic role in boxing with a nod to the “Rumble in the Jungle.”
This was Bakole’s second fight in Riyadh in just 10 weeks, stepping in last-minute against Joseph Parker in February, a bout he lost via second-round TKO. This time, with a full camp, he insisted it was the “real fight.”
The Verdict
Despite their contrasting styles—Bakole’s aggression versus Ajagba’s mobility—neither fighter managed to seize full control. The result leaves the door wide open for a rematch, with both men eager to settle the score.
“I want the rematch,” Ajagba confirmed after the fight.
And judging by the intensity of Saturday’s bout, fans across Africaand the boxing world will want it too.
