- Bakole has completed an gruelling journey to Saudi Arabia for Saturday’s fight
- The heavyweight is a last-gasp call up to face Parker after Dubois’ withdrawal
- Bakole weighed in for Mail Sport upon his arrival to Saudi Arabia’s capital city
Martin Bakole has weighed in on arrival for his heavyweight title fight with Joseph Parker after the heavyweight touched down in Saudi Arabia.
Bakole arrived in Riyadh following eight hours of flying from Congo and is due in the ring on Saturday evening against Parker.
The boxer gave an unofficial weigh in for Mail Sport after arriving at his hotel, wearing his clothes and shoes, and came in at 22 stone and 7 pounds.
Bakole, who stands at mammoth 6 ft 5 ins had weighed in at 20st and 3lb, when he defeated Jared Anderson last August.
His opponent Parker had weighed in alone earlier in the day at a career heaviest 19st 1lb.
Parker had been due to face Daniel Dubois in a world heavyweight title fight, but the Brit pulled out of their bout with an illness on Thursday.
Martin Bakole has landed in Saudi Arabia after an 11-hour flight ahead of facing Joseph Parker
Bakole has weighed in at 22 stone and 7 pounds, more than two stone heavier than his last bout
Bakole gave an unofficial weigh in for Mail Sport as he vowed to shock the world
That left Bakole needing to make a mad dash just 36 hours before the contest having agreed to take on the New Zealander.
Bakole has had no training camp and hardly has any time to orient himself after his cross-continental journey from Congo.
In an exclusive interview with Mail Sport from his hotel, Bakole expressed his belief he will ‘shock the world’ by beating Parker.
He suggested the New Zealander would not have taken the fight had it not been hastily arranged due to Parker knowing how dangerous he is after previous sparring sessions between the pair.
‘Only god knows [how the fight will unfold] but I feel I will shock the world,’ Bakole told Mail Sport.
‘Imagine taking the fight at two days notice and stopping Joseph Parker, someone who has been in camp for four or five months, I think the world would be shocked.
‘We have had good spars and if it were two or three months notice, I don’t think he would have taken the fight because he knows me and how good I am.
‘I think my time is now.’
Bakole is due in the ring later on Saturday when he meets Parker in a heavyweight showdown
The New Zealander had weighed in alone earlier in the day at a career heaviest 19st 1lb
Bakole explained his whirlwind week having initially travelled to Congo to apply for his visa to begin a training camp in the United States.
His plans then changed dramatically when he was offered the chance to step in to replace Dubois.
‘It was like a dream, but not a dream, I am here and ready to fight tonight,’ Bakole said.
‘I went to Congo for personal business and to apply for my visa to go to America and start camp.
‘I am a solider and fighter, always be ready and now I am here to face Joseph Parker, unbelievable.
‘My journey was a very long one, it was four hours from Congo to Addis Ababa and the same from Addis Ababa to here, so around eight hours.’
