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Bakole during a stoppage win against Rodney Hernandez<\/p>\n
The pair have been helping one another ahead of Saturday\u2019s crossover event in Riyadh, where Fury boxes ex-UFC champion Ngannou and where the Briton is contracted to fight Usyk next. Bakole, however, has mixed feelings on both of Fury\u2019s impending fights.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoxing is a business now,\u201d he says matter-of-factly. \u201cIf you\u2019re watching the top 10, Tyson hasn\u2019t fought everyone. He fought some good guys, he beat Deontay Wilder, but to pick Ngannou from MMA… I was not happy with that. But it is what it is. It\u2019s about money, now people don\u2019t care about boxing. I was happy to see him sign the contract to fight Usyk, because that\u2019s what we\u2019ve been waiting for.\u201d Not, however, in the way that fans have been waiting. \u201cWe,\u201d meaning boxers, \u201cwant the belts, we want four champions; we can\u2019t just sit and get old with one man holding all the belts. The winner must give up some belts, so that we can fight each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
23 December is one of the mooted dates for Fury vs Usyk, and Bakole trusts his sparring partner to be able to turn around in time, also backing the \u201cGypsy King\u201d to make light work of Ngannou. \u201cTyson knows what he\u2019s doing. Maybe he\u2019ll stop Ngannou early, that\u2019s the only reason I can think why he signed the contract [to box Usyk]. He will not play with Ngannou, I don\u2019t see Ngannou surviving a round with Fury. Easy money, then go and work hard for Usyk, because it\u2019s a tough, 12-round fight.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Bakole at his open workout ahead of his fight with Carlos Takam this weekend<\/p>\n
Bakole will also be hoping that his money comes easy on Saturday. \u201cI\u2019ll be giving everything,\u201d he says, \u201cbecause Takam is coming to take my place. He\u2019s an old man,\u201d in boxing at least, at 42, \u201cbut he\u2019s tough and fit! So, everything is on the line for me. I don\u2019t think it\u2019ll go past five or six rounds. I\u2019m going to stop him. It\u2019s a massive [turning point]. This is a big opportunity to get people making noise and saying, \u2018We want to see Martin against him, or him.\u2019 <\/p>\n
\u201cOnce the fans start asking boxers to fight me, I don\u2019t think they\u2019ll be avoiding me. There will be money in it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Until then, there is money in Saudi, there is money in Fury, and that is a perfect combination for Bakole\u2019s fight this weekend.<\/p>\n