Yoka vs Takam set for Mar. 11 in Paris

Both men are coming off of losses, Tony Yoka to Martin Bakole and Carlos Takam to Arslanbek Makhmudov

After suffering his first professional defeat in rough fashion, Olympic gold medalist Tony Yoka revealed on Twitter today that he’ll return to action on March 11th against countryman Carlos Takam.

This one’s got a bit of backstory. The pair first signed to square off in early 2022 after a proposed clash between Yoka (11-1, 9 KO) and Martin Bakole, only for Takam (39-7-1, 28 KO) to injure his wrist and open the door for Bakole to step in. Yoka vs Bakole seemed like a 50/50 fight on paper, but a first-round knockdown from Bakole kicked off a rout that even hilariously biased Parisian judges couldn’t salvage.

It was a hell of a reality check for Yoka, though he could still have time to pick up the pieces at 30 years old. This is heavyweight, after all.

Speaking of old-ass big men, the 42-year-old Takam showed that he can still keep talented physical specimens honest in a decision loss to Arslanbek Makhmudov. Whether or not he can emerge victorious, he’ll demand some improvement on Yoka’s part.