I have everything to become world champion — Ajagba

Nigerian heavyweight boxer Efe Ajagba believes he possesses all the necessary qualities to become a world champion as he sets his sights on the biggest names in the division ahead of his upcoming fight, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The hard-hitting Nigerian is due to fight Martin Bakole on the undercard of Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez’s undisputed world super-middleweight championship fight against William Scull in Saudi Arabia on May 4.

“I have the abilities, I have the skills, I have the power, everything to become a heavyweight champion,” Ajagba told Sky Sports.

The 30-year-old hopes to stake his claim for a world heavyweight title fight when he takes on Bakole and admits his long-term goal is a title challenge against unified champion Oleksandr Usyk or IBF title holder Daniel Dubois.

“I’m not overstepping. I’m just focused on Martin Bakole first,” Ajagba said.

“After that, when I get the victory, that’s when I’m going to step up to fight who I want to fight next. Whether it’s Usyk or Dubois.”

Bakole’s last fight came when he stepped in at two days’ notice to fight Joseph Parker after Dubois withdrew due to illness, but the Congolese contender suffered a second-round knockout loss.

Despite the manner of Bakole’s crushing defeat, Ajagba insists he is still wary of the threat posed by his opponent, who has beaten the likes of Jared Anderson, Tony Yoka and Carlos Takam.

When asked about whether the defeat to Parker would have dented Bakole’s confidence, Ajagba said, “To me, in my opinion, I don’t think so. I’m not going to take that knockout that he has (against Parker) to myself.

“I’m going to have more confidence to fight Martin Bakole. I’m preparing for (the best of) him.”

Ajagba has been in impressive form, winning his last five fights since his lone professional defeat to Frank Sanchez in October 2021. The Nigerian, who holds an impressive record of 20-1 with 14 knockouts, has intensified his preparation ahead of the bout.

The heavyweight was spotted training with British heavyweight Johnny Fisher, nicknamed ‘The Romford Bull’, as he fine-tunes his strategy for the crucial bout that could significantly impact his standing in the heavyweight division.

Former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua has backed Bakole to recover from his recent loss, stating, “Bakole believes in himself and he’s got every right to. He’s a serious fighter. That’s not the end, this is the heavyweight division.”

However, Joshua has also thrown his support behind his compatriot Ajagba to win the fight.

The highly anticipated heavyweight clash, originally scheduled to take place in New York, will now feature on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez’s super middleweight championship match against William Scull in Saudi Arabia.