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00:01He said he's the LeBaron in Africa.
00:03He knows himself.
00:04I'm the best.
00:05No doubt that.
00:06Even Joshua knows I'm the best.
00:08I beat LeBaron in Africa, so I went to the Olympics.
00:10He wanted to take the LeBaron glory from me, because I'm already there.
00:14So we've got to find out who is LeBaron.
00:15I don't take time to watch my opponent.
00:18I don't know him.
00:19I box.
00:20Only my coach knows him.
00:21I don't care about his size, but it's not an excuse.
00:24I have the excuse.
00:25I have the power, you know.
00:26I need to stay always focused.
00:29I like to keep him on the back foot, because he doesn't know how to box on the back foot.
00:32He's a bully man.
00:33Like, he loves to bully fighters, opponents, and stuff like that.
00:37But for me, he can't bully me.
00:40He was the best on Saturday.
00:42What a beautiful night here in Riyadh in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
00:59And we welcome you back to the A&B Arena.
01:01My name is Todd Grisham, alongside the former middleweight champion of the world, Daniel Jacobs.
01:06We turn our attention to that all-African showdown.
01:09Martin Bacoli, as you know, fought here in February.
01:13He took the fight on 48 hours' notice.
01:15Denny, he was on his couch in the Congo, jumped on an airplane, flew here, and fought Joseph Parker.
01:21It obviously did not go well for him.
01:24What are the lingering effects from that fight, do you think?
01:26Well, it could be a very devastating lingering effect, but listen to this guy, the press conference.
01:32Listen to him tonight.
01:33He seems to be in the right mindset.
01:35One thing about me and my career, I remember fighting when my grandmother passed away,
01:38and it was the worst decision that I've ever made, because mentally I wasn't there.
01:42And it was my first loss ever.
01:44So for him, he understands he mentally needs to be in the right place to be able to go out there and perform at his best confessional.
01:50Yeah, I remember seeing all those highlights of him, basically a mad dash through the airport, jumping on the airplane.
01:56It was insane stuff.
01:57But hey, he showed up to the fight, gave it his all.
02:00His corner Billy Hunter jumped on the ring and waved it off.
02:04And Bacoli said, I wish he hadn't done that.
02:07I was still ready to fight.
02:08I wasn't hurt.
02:09I was just a little discombobulated.
02:11Have you seen fighters do that before?
02:13I have.
02:14I mean, it's one of those things where it's a delayed reaction.
02:18I remember in sparring, I won't name who, but I got hit with a punch and it was a delayed reaction where my legs wobbled.
02:25But yeah, these things happen in the sport of boxing.
02:27You could get knocked out or it could be a delayed reaction where you may shake and you may fall.
02:32You never know, but you just need to be ready, keep them hands up and protected.
02:36All right, he's fighting Efe Ajogba from Nigeria in all Africa battle.
02:39Quick prediction from you.
02:41What's going to happen?
02:42No prediction tonight for me, but I will say that this is going to be potentially the fight of the night.
02:48All right.
02:49Without further ado, let's get to it.
02:52Thank you so much, guys.
02:54We are ready for this one.
02:59And we take a look at the tail of the tape for this heavyweight slugfest.
03:06Bakoli and Ajogba have decided that this fight will decide the heavyweight king of Africa.
03:12You look at those measurables.
03:15Martin Bakoli, 6'6", nearly 300 pounds.
03:19Efe Ajogba, also 6'6", coming in at a shredded 240 pounds.
03:26This one promises action, and we cannot wait to get that action started.
03:33Bakoli and Ajogba, a potential fight of the night here in Riyadh.
03:39We are now in Riyadh.
03:40We are now in Riyadh.
03:45Live worldwide.
03:46Let's first welcome to the ring Efe, the Silent Roller Ajogba.
03:54Yes sir.
03:55Are you ready for the champion?
03:59The Silent Roller.
04:04Efe Ajogba.
04:05Hey!
04:35Make that fuck Jogba, cause Ajogba is folly.
04:39Oh, and this fan, F.A. Ajogba, signed with top rank, legendary promoter Bob Arum described him as one of the most naturally gifted heavyweights that he'd ever come across.
04:49The proof was there from the beginning, as Ajogba made the 2016 Olympics after just a few years of boxing training, impressing his own idol, Lennox Lewis, enough that Lewis offered to sign and train him in Canada.
05:03Ajogba went another direction, moving to the United States and becoming a fixture on U.S. television during his ascent.
05:11Tonight, he has the opportunity to prove that he is more than just a gifted athlete and curiosity.
05:17If he could score on what would be the signature win of his to date, and the one to enter him into the heavyweight title picture.
05:25Yeah, F.A. Ajogba has had a very interesting career arc.
05:29There were a number of years that he looked like the next big thing in the heavyweight division.
05:35You remember 2018, Curtis Harper actually walked out of the ring before the opening bell rather than face F.A. Ajogba.
05:45But in 2019, he got dropped for the first time as a professional.
05:49In 2021, he lost to Frank Sanchez.
05:53In his last time out, he was rocked by Guido Vianello.
05:57So there have been some warning signs around F.A. Ajogba.
06:00But this is an opportunity for him on this card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to put himself right back into that heavyweight mix.
06:12Certainly the biggest opportunity of Ajogba's career.
06:16Obviously we know be better to definitely.
06:18Some fly for the daily.
06:20Black force do me say.
06:21As you alluded to, Chris, this is the man who has kind of been in that zone between prospect and contender for some time.
06:28And this would be a contention affirming victory here tonight.
06:32And now let's welcome to the ring, Martin Bacoli!
06:58Mark Bacoli was riding a wave of hype as the anointed boogeyman of the heavyweight division
07:26after a series of upset wins, concluding with a thumping stoppage over Jared Anderson last August.
07:33Bacoli accepted an offer to step in and face Joseph Parker last time out on a day's notice,
07:39still on the airplane as his opponent weighed in.
07:42Bacoli was stopped in the second round, and fairly or unfairly,
07:46the fearsome aura surrounding Bacoli was no longer being discussed quite the same way.
07:53There's no question that Bacoli couldn't have been his true self against Parker on that night.
07:59But there is a question as to how much of himself he lost in the ring that night.
08:04And you see him coming to the ring with the George Foreman t-shirt.
08:08And there is a Foreman-esque quality to his fighting style.
08:12Doesn't really step into his punches, but gets a ton of power off him.
08:16And like George Foreman, Martin Bacoli is never out of a fight.
08:21These are two huge, power-punching heavyweights.
08:25This fight shouldn't last too long.
08:27Just like most of Foreman's fights, this is going to end quickly and explosive.
08:31This fight shouldn't last too long.
08:37Ladies and gentlemen, this bout is scheduled for 10 rounds in the heavyweight division.
08:45Brought to you by Riyadh Season and the General Entertainment Authority Gia
08:50with Frank Warren for Queensbury, Canelo Promotions, Agone Sports and Events,
08:55Ancela, in association with Boxer, Bob Aram's Top Rank Incorporated,
09:01and Antonio Leonard Productions.
09:04Along with their great sponsors, Riyadh Season, STA, STC,
09:11Dr. Suleiman Elhabib Medical Group, and Arena Fitness Innovation.
09:16It is sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control,
09:19Steward in Charge Guy Williamson, Supervisor Dennis Gilmartin.
09:23The three judges assigned will be Pablo Gonzalez of Spain,
09:30Kieran McCann of England, and Bob Williams of England.
09:34Our referee in charge, third man in the ring, will be Howard Foster of England.
09:40Introducing to you first, fighting tonight out of the blue corner,
09:48he comes to the ring wearing black with white and green,
09:51and weighed in officially at 240 pounds.
09:55Coming to us from Ugeli, Nigeria, he brings a professional record of 20 wins.
10:03Just one defeat, 14 of his 20 wins coming by way of knockout.
10:10Currently ranked number 10 by Ring Magazine.
10:13Please welcome, the former WBC Silver Heavyweight Champion,
10:19Efe, the Silent Ruler, Ajakba!
10:25And his opponent across the ring, fighting tonight out of the red corner,
10:35he comes to the ring wearing blue, red and yellow,
10:38and weighed in officially at 299 pounds.
10:42Hailing from Kananga, Democratic Republic of Congo,
10:47he has a professional record of 21 wins, 2 defeats,
10:5216 of his 21 wins coming by way of knockout.
10:57Currently ranked number 8 by Ring Magazine.
11:01Here is the former Interim World Title challenger, Martin Bacoli!
11:16Okay guys, both know the rules.
11:17Keep it clean, break straight away when told.
11:19Both of you watch your heads enclosed.
11:21Good luck to you both. Touch gloves.
11:23Good luck lads.
11:24We saw the bad blood between these two spill over this week,
11:27but there really is much more than just a grudge match at stake here.
11:30Both fighters in their early 30s.
11:32Both coming off recent losses.
11:34The winner of this fight can make a strong case
11:36to be in a title-caliber fight next.
11:39The loser may not get another shot at getting it.
11:42Round one underway.
11:47Massive heavyweights here in Bacoli and Ajakba,
11:51and you're right Chris, this feels like one of those
11:53the winner moves on in the heavyweight bracket type fights.
11:57So two red flags about Bacoli.
12:01One is how did he bounce back from that second round knockout.
12:05I know it was only one punch, there wasn't a lot of wear and tear,
12:08but this is a quick turnaround.
12:10The other is the weight.
12:12299 pounds, Martin Bacoli tipped the scales at.
12:16Now that's less than the 310 he weighed for the last fight,
12:19but it's 15 pounds heavier than what he was against Jared Anderson,
12:23which was one of the best performances of his career.
12:27We're going to see the effects of that last fight once he gets hit by that Ajakba right hand,
12:31which is his favorite punch.
12:33Big right hand, he stays at a distance, he sets it up behind a patient jab.
12:37That's how we're going to find out where Bacoli's at in this stage of his career.
12:42Sergio, both these guys are uppercutters.
12:46They both are into throwing that uppercut.
12:50Ajakba will throw it with both hands.
12:52Bacoli likes that rear uppercut.
12:54They love throwing that punch.
12:56Don't uppercut with an uppercut.
12:58On the outside, it's all Ajakba, and that's where he should be.
13:02You know, behind that long jab, he has that leaner frame.
13:05They're both the same height, but you can see that the mass is with Bacoli.
13:08So just touching him downstairs to that soft belly would open up a right hand over the top.
13:13You have to be very patient, of course, very careful with a guy like Bacoli.
13:17And, of course, that's the formula, Chris, that Michael Hunter used to defeat Martin Bacoli years ago.
13:24And Bacoli's promoter, Ben Shalom, has talked about maybe orchestrating that rematch
13:29if Bacoli can get the victory here tonight.
13:31I get the sense that Bacoli wants that rematch, take the blemish off his resume.
13:35I'm not so sure Ben Shalom wants that.
13:37He may have eyes for bigger and better things for Martin Bacoli.
13:46I go back to that fight against Jared Anderson, which started a little bit like this
13:50with Jared Anderson just pawing at the body of Martin Bacoli.
13:53In the last 20 seconds, Martin Bacoli lands a big punch and puts Anderson on the deck.
13:57Yeah, Anderson got a little bit too confident and stayed still for a little bit too long.
14:01And that's what Ajakva's not doing.
14:03See, he's moving around the ring.
14:04He stayed a little bit against the ropes right there, but he has the distance,
14:08and he's keeping his range in between.
14:12As long as you don't get too close to Bacoli, you're going to be all right.
14:15Nicoli just slowly trying to creep his way forward here, looking for an opening to unleash one of those shots,
14:25maybe one of those drive-by uppercuts.
14:27Guys like that, you can just out point.
14:30You know, he's giving you rounds like this.
14:32You can just keep touching the body, keep jabbing upstairs.
14:35Move to your left, move to your right.
14:37Just do not stand still in front of this guy.
14:39And I love the fact that he alternated the jab for a three right there.
14:42He led with a hook just to land that right hand.
14:44Nice right hand there from Ajakva as we close round one.
14:48Fight night on DAZN, brought to you by that prize guy.
15:01No three shots tonight, okay?
15:03Good work.
15:04We've had a look at him, now we're welcome.
15:07Nothing rash, okay?
15:09Don't cross the line.
15:10Do not cross the line.
15:12Back live here in Riyadh, you heard the final instructions from Billy Nelson to Martin Bacoli.
15:17As round two begins, good start to this fight here for F.A. Ajakva.
15:22And the quieter these rounds are, the better for Ajakva as Bacoli offers up a left hook there.
15:29Caught by the right glove of Ajakva.
15:42Ajakva opening up a little bit here.
15:44Just a good right hand that landed right at the end of round two.
15:51And Chris, as you pointed out, this is an unfamiliar pattern for Bacoli fights where there's kind of a lull.
15:58It's very quiet.
15:59And then before you know it, there's a very large man shaking his hips in the middle of the ring
16:03because he just scored a knockout victory.
16:05Yeah, it looked like Jared Anderson first round on his way to an easy 10-9 round.
16:10And Martin Bacoli landed one of those kind of clubbing shots that changed the fight.
16:14He is one punch away from changing the dynamic.
16:17Yeah, guys like Bacoli, you can outbox, but you gotta be smart enough to know that that's their strategy.
16:23You know, they're gonna lose rounds to just set up the big punch, the big knockout.
16:27And Ajakva should, you know, I'm sure he did his studying and knowing that this man, he's a silent killer.
16:37You know, he's one of these guys that just waits for that right shot, the power shot.
16:40And he sets it up with jabs like that, long arms.
16:43Very few fighters have so much power without really stepping into those punches.
16:49I mentioned George Foreman.
16:50I'd put Fiddley Klitschko on that list as well.
16:53He just gets such pop off what is largely an arm punch.
17:02Ajakva corner asking for a few more feints here.
17:05As Bacoli picking up his activity here in the second round,
17:10at least relative to what he was doing in round one.
17:14He jab his way in, touching the body there of Ajakva.
17:18Nice long range right hand there just raises Ajakva.
17:23It's funny, Corey, that we're looking at Ajakva as the boxer in this place.
17:26Ajakva came up as a heavy-handed guy, scary guy with power in both hands.
17:31And you'd have to think that Ajakva will have to really lean on that athleticism in this fight.
17:40If this fight is at distance, it's good news for Ajakva.
17:45And if that is what he needs, it's good news for Ajakva
17:48because his former strength and conditioning coach,
17:51who he was working with at Houston, Danny Arnold, who also trained Jadeveon Clowney,
17:56said that Ajakva compared favorably in athleticism to an NFL defensive back.
18:01Y'all doing it for round two. Better round for Bacoli, but perhaps another one in the bank there for Ajakva.
18:19but perhaps another one in the bank there for a jog ball.
18:27We see Eddie Hearn seated ringside there next to Rick Reno.
18:31And, of course, he'll be on hand Saturday, May 17th,
18:34as Johnny Fisher and Dave Allen run it back at the Copper Box
18:38after a controversial win for Johnny Fisher.
18:42We'll see if it'll be a repeat for revenge.
18:45And this man, Frank Warren, will bring us a big fight from Scotland in Glasgow
18:52as Josh Taylor makes his Queensbury debut on May 24th
18:58as he takes on Echo Essamon, also live here on DAZN.
19:06There they are seated together, not chatting at the moment,
19:09but they've become a lot friendlier over the years, haven't they?
19:12At least in recent times.
19:13Hey, when everybody comes under one platform like DAZN
19:16and is brought together like these Riyadh season shows
19:19and brought promoters together, you get real friendly real quick, Corey.
19:24Well, these two certainly have not been friendly
19:26during the build-up to this one.
19:27Efe Ajogba and Mark Bacoli.
19:30The tempo's starting to pick up,
19:31and Bacoli is starting to pick up the volume here in round three.
19:35Yeah, this is what I want to see from Bacoli.
19:36He has to come forward.
19:37He can't let Ajogba keep picking him apart from the outside.
19:40Bacoli needs to get on the inside, and the way to do that
19:43is breaking that distance with that jab, that long, strong jab.
19:48Nice right hand over the top there from Ajogba.
19:52Bacoli leaning back as he tries to jab to the body,
19:55but Ajogba found the antidote for that.
19:59Just bring that right hand over the top.
20:01I would like to see Bacoli just throw that right hand
20:04right to the chest of Ajogba.
20:06He's not going to hit the head right now.
20:08It's too early in the fight.
20:09Just aim at the chest or the shoulder of Ajogba.
20:13Huge right hand there from Ajogba.
20:17That's the same punch he's been landing.
20:18It's a three-two.
20:19He comes in the front door with a three,
20:21going around the right hand of Bacoli.
20:23He's catching Bacoli, Sergio, leaning to the right.
20:26He's able to throw that chopping right hand pretty easily.
20:28No, he's forcing him to the right with that left hand.
20:31He's keeping him there just to guide that right hand down the pipe.
20:33There it is again.
20:34That right hand seemed to wobble.
20:36Bacoli was trying to fire back with left hooks,
20:39but Ajogba is cooking here in round three.
20:41Yep, at the outside, it's all Ajogba.
20:43The knees buckled from the big man right now.
20:49And we ask questions if there were lingering effects
20:52from the knockout loss at the hands of Joseph Parker.
20:55And it's that same kind of temple shot that seemed to affect him there.
21:01If Bacoli is not going to get on the inside
21:03and not really try to double and triple his way in,
21:06he's going to be at the end of those punches.
21:08And it's only going to be a matter of time
21:10until you get crack again with that right hand.
21:12I'm going to pull counter right hand there from Ajogba,
21:22who's cornered right now, telling him, don't get lazy.
21:24In other words, keep up the activity.
21:26You've got something going here.
21:29Ajogba is one of the better jabbers in the heavyweight division.
21:32He's going to be comfortable keeping this fight from the outside.
21:34These are exchanges where Bacoli can be dangerous,
21:38but it is Ajogba who is owning them at the moment.
21:41No, these aren't exchanges, Corey.
21:43He's getting hit.
21:44He's getting pop-shotted by the sharper puncher in Ajogba.
21:47He moves off the ropes really nicely.
21:49He wants to stay off the ropes to keep the fight in the middle of the ring.
21:52Good left hook there from Bacoli.
21:54Stop pulling so much and keep your hands up.
21:56Stay sharp.
21:57Final 20 seconds of round three.
22:00Bacoli being given an opportunity here.
22:02This has been a fantastic round for F.A. Ajogba.
22:10Chopping counter there from Ajogba with his back against the ropes.
22:15And that will do it for round three.
22:26Stay relaxed.
22:27Stay relaxed.
22:28Once again, the new feature on your zone.
22:31You can switch between rounds by using the fight card feature on your zone player.
22:38You can relive any of the actions you missed.
22:40You can re-watch the highlights from tonight's fight.
22:44Bacoli rewind.
22:45Watch the knockouts.
22:48You can watch what was a terrific round three there for F.A. Ajogba Bacoli if you'd like as well.
22:53All he's doing is throwing shots crazy shit.
22:56When we're right here.
22:58Don't pull back is what they're telling Ajogba.
23:00Just knife-tight defense with the up.
23:03Hear him up defense.
23:04And move your head.
23:05Then shots like that.
23:06You run the big man into shots like that, but keep your range.
23:10Stay responsible.
23:11It's only a matter of time.
23:12Bacoli can't keep taking right hands like that the entire fight.
23:15I'll tell you though, Sergio, that was a good round for F.A. Ajogba.
23:19But I do think in the final 30 seconds, Bart Bacoli started to close the gap a little bit.
23:24We'll see if that carries over in this round.
23:26I think Ajogba gave him that gap.
23:29He was comfortable against the ropes, and I think he was picking them, catching, and countering.
23:33A different strategy here for Bacoli.
23:35He was now framing up and just trying to muscle his way to the inside.
23:41I think realizing what you were pointing out there, Sergio, that trying to slip to his right, jab his way in.
23:47It wasn't quite working.
23:48This is better stuff for Bacoli.
23:51He needs to move that upper body.
23:53He needs to get in and break that distance.
23:55He can't stay at that range.
23:57All right, let's send it over to Claudia Trejos, who was in the quarters between rounds.
24:00Claudia, what are you hearing?
24:01Thank you, Corey.
24:01They were actually echoing what Chris was saying.
24:04He's, uh, Bacoli's actually smothering, trying to smother the reach on Ajogba, and that's precisely what he wants to avoid.
24:13Stay away from the ropes.
24:14Use your reach.
24:15Use your movement.
24:16Do not allow him to close the gap.
24:18And this is the reason why Bacoli popping the head back of Ajogba with a huge left hook a moment ago.
24:25And this is exactly what Bacoli wants.
24:28Yeah, because if Ajogba's squared up, he's not at an angle.
24:30If he's squared up like that, it makes it easier for those left and right hooks to line.
24:34And Bacoli's been stopped a couple of times, but I have more questions about the Ajogba chin, given the caliber of competition that's either knocked him down or wobbled him.
24:44Oh, Ajogba looked a little unsteady as he was navigating his way back to the ropes here, now trying to fight his way off the ropes.
24:51But he's got a Colossus in front of him, trying to keep him there.
24:57I mentioned Foreman.
24:58Isn't this like a Foreman S5-2 to a fight like this, where you just, if you're, Bacoli, you're just taking punches until you can land one to change the fight.
25:06Ajogba trying to counter with right hands against the ropes.
25:11There is the signature shot there from Bacoli, that uppercut, and once those start flowing, that's when things really start rolling for Bacoli.
25:22Yeah, it's a beautiful shot from such a big man.
25:24And once he starts throwing that uppercut to the body and picking him up to the head, that's when you know it's getting good to him.
25:29You don't see the movements from Ajogba that you saw for the first three rounds.
25:37A lot playing on the ropes and in the corner.
25:39Bacoli, I love that right hand that just gutted Ajogba, breaking him in half.
25:44Ajogba stationary in the corner.
25:47He's absorbing a lot of shots here, some of them on the arms.
25:51But those are heavy, heavy shots, just grinding Ajogba down.
25:55And those shots, Sergio, the right hand is kind of that corkscrew right hand.
25:59That Gennady Golovkin kind of made famous years ago, looking for that top of the temple shot.
26:04Yeah, coming from top to bottom.
26:05If your opponent's not giving you an entrance, you've got to go over the top.
26:10It was a good response from Ajogba a moment ago.
26:13Four straight punches down the pike, but Bacoli just keeps plowing forward.
26:18You're doing amazing on defense.
26:19Yeah, that round, Bacoli was able to land shots like that because, look, squared up against the ropes is a big no-no in boxing.
26:37You've got to get turned sideways, catching counter.
26:39You can't get hit by a big man right there, solidly right to the temple.
26:43Squared up, giving up that right side of the face.
26:47Bacoli, it's only a matter of time until he starts throwing that left and right.
26:52Look, there's that corkscrew punch that you were talking about, man.
26:55It's coming over the top of the head right there.
26:57All he's trying to do is walk you down and get tired and throw it high punches.
27:09Tighten your defense up, man.
27:11Come on.
27:12Round five.
27:17Round five underway, and there has been a major momentum shift in this one after a dominant round there for Martin Bacoli.
27:25It looked like things are going well for F.A. Ajogba, but again, we talked about that familiar pattern in Martin Bacoli fights, and it is showing itself once more.
27:36Flashes of that Jared Anderson fight.
27:38You know, this is how Anderson started.
27:40Boston moving, getting confident with that jab.
27:42Straight right hand, but Bacoli was slowly eating him up, slowly inching that front foot in, in the front door just to land that big right hand and uppercut.
27:52And they're yelling at Ajogba not to get lazy.
27:55It's not really that he's getting lazy.
27:58It's that he's being backed up by a bigger man that's taking his punches.
28:04It's also got to be really difficult for a 240-pound heavyweight to use the entirety of the ring for the course of a fight.
28:11Like, F.A. Ajogba is not a flyweight out there moving around.
28:14He's a big man.
28:15He's been asked to work hard early this fight.
28:18Slip. Slip.
28:19Slip. Slip. Slip. Slip. engine.
28:26Slip. Slip.ulaa Ajogba.
28:27Bacoli just harping himself there against the ropes.
28:31Taking a long time to load up that right hand.
28:33And this was the posture that was allowing Ajogba to have success in the first three rounds.
28:38Slip. Slip. Slip. Slip.
28:42head moving
28:44Macoli corner asking him for head movements
28:50showing that right now
28:55but it's only Jogba
28:56offering up jabs at the moment
28:58Jogba just barely missed that right hand
29:04I think Macoli's getting a little bit lazy right now
29:06trying to shoulder roll that right hand of Jogba
29:09just to come back with his own
29:10but I don't think he's quick enough to do that
29:13he's looking to time Jogba
29:15land that counter right
29:16but that's not really his game
29:17his game is pressure
29:18I agree
29:20and this is where Jogba should take advantage of that
29:22just double and triple your way in
29:24and then get to the side of Bacoli
29:26and start ripping those left uppercuts
29:29double triple up the left uppercuts
29:30when you're on the side of him
29:31on the left side of Bacoli
29:33it's also a curious decision to
29:35kind of take the round off
29:37in a fight that
29:38you've got a good performance in the fourth round
29:41you're probably losing
29:42especially after a round Chris
29:46where it looked like
29:47the snowball was turning into an avalanche a little bit
29:50there was a scary moment
29:51for a Jogba who just produced one there
29:54for Bacoli with a beautiful pull counter right hand
29:58the big man bounced off the ropes
30:00to try to land a right hand
30:02and it was a Jogba that rolled with him
30:04got a bigger right hand
30:05whose idea was to change game plans like that
30:09fifth round but it was a bad one
30:11yeah momentum shifted right back
30:16well the countdown to tonight's main event
30:26can officially begin as William School
30:29entering the arena here in Riyadh
30:32his IBF title in tow
30:35as he looks to win three more of them
30:37and the ring magazine belt
30:39by scoring a monumental upset tonight Chris
30:42yeah huge opportunity for William School
30:44beat Vladimir Shishkin last October
30:47to get that lottery ticket
30:49that is the belt on his shoulder
30:51and for that
30:52he gets to face Canelo Alvarez
30:54still one of the top ten best fighters in the box
30:57round six begins and here comes the version of Martin Bacoli that was looking dominant
31:12round six begins and here comes the version of Martin Bacoli that was looking dominant
31:24and right before the round began
31:26Jogba's corner told him to stay off the ropes as these two men resume their trash talking
31:33and Chris Mannix let's take a look at your scorecard
31:35yeah four rounds to one in favor of Efe Jogba
31:39first three were competitive but pretty clean wins for Jogba
31:43thought the fourth round was obviously Martin Bacoli landed his best shots of the night
31:46then there was that perplexing last round
31:49where Martin Bacoli decided to lean against the ropes
31:52and maybe give himself a bit of a break but Efe Jogba 49-46 on my scorecard
31:57that's right hand to the body there from Bacoli
32:00and Bacoli getting frustrated saying come on man stop and fight
32:02but no Jogba shouldn't do that he should do exactly what he's doing
32:05bouncing on his feet moving laterally using the entire ring and keep popping that jab
32:10that's how you win this fight that's how you beat this big man
32:13beat him on your terms not his
32:16see Bacoli staying in the middle of the ring
32:19he wants a Jogba to come to him
32:22a Jogba shouldn't give him that
32:24Bacoli attempting here Sergio what is a part of his game
32:30kind of that psychological warfare
32:32you know he tries to intimidate opponents
32:34and it works as he walks through your shots
32:37that has happened to opponents of his in the past
32:41it's imperative on a Jogba to stay disciplined
32:43yeah it's a lazy strategy by Martin Bacoli
32:46you know but sometimes fighters fighters fall for that
32:49I don't think I don't think Efe Jogba is one of those guys
32:53Efe Jogba very good fighter got a good corner too
32:57Kei Karoma in the corner of Efe Jogba working with him for the last few fights
33:01very smart guy
33:02and the advice we've been hearing coming from the corner of Ejogba is spot on
33:06stay off the ropes keep moving don't engage with this guy
33:09yep and you got to keep reminding him that
33:12because sometimes you know it feels like you're winning really easily
33:16and it just takes one shot just like that
33:18that just bloodied his nose right now
33:20just a stiff jab from Bacoli immediately producing some blood from the nose of Efe Jogba
33:26you saw him wipe it away
33:2745 seconds remaining here in round six
33:31here we go
33:40Jogba's corner asking him to throw a one-two downstairs
33:45that's actually a pretty awkward punch to throw
33:49to throw a one-two downstairs
33:51I've never heard of that
33:52because if you have a taller man
33:54that once you throw that right hand
33:55you're going to be vulnerable to something punching down
33:58I don't like that advice
33:59I like the jab
34:00or a single right hand
34:02but a one-two to the body
34:03I think that's bad advice to a tall fighter
34:06nice right hand there by Bacoli
34:11good shot over the top there
34:12another good round in the bank
34:16for Efe Jogba
34:18we've got more heavyweight action coming your way on Friday night
34:33as Daniel Pero takes on Cesar Navarro live from the wonderful Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida
34:40all part of your subtraction
34:41thank you teachers over a hundred and eighty-five
34:44that right
34:44for you
34:45instead of just walking Frank sometimes and then drop the one-two
34:48okay you could you don't go
34:50okay
34:51round seven
34:53round seven
34:58round seven
34:59round seven under way and Mark McCauley had to be held back
35:03before the start of the round
35:05we'll see if he keeps this pressure up
35:06we've seen one round of this from him Chris but otherwise this has been an easy fight I think
35:10to score for a jog
35:12yeah bizarre strategies over these last few rounds from Martin McCauley
35:14this rounds started off the way it showed Martin McCauley applying the pressure and trying to get into the match
35:19we'll see if he keeps this pressure up
35:20it'sあった
35:21round seven underway and Mark McCauley had to be held back
35:23before the start of the round
35:24we'll see if he keeps this pressure up
35:25we've seen one round of this from him Chris but otherwise
35:28this has been an easy fight I think to score for a jog
35:30yeah bizarre
35:32strategies
35:33over these last few rounds for Martin McCauley
35:35this round started off the way it showed Mark McCauley
35:38applying the pressure and trying to get into the power and it's not
35:39the pressure and trying to get a jog with back up against the ropes that's what was affected for
35:43him in the fourth round when in between it's been sort of a strange night for Mark McColley.
35:49Nice right hand that connected from a jog ball a moment ago there's another one
35:53Sergio when he can throw that on the move it's a punch that seems to be impacting McColley. Yeah
36:00and he's doing it moving backwards and it's kind of like an anchor punch with that right hand he
36:04keeps moving back but you need to have athleticism to do that of course the jogger has that
36:09I think now there's an opening for a left hook for a jog ball because every time that he feints at
36:15McColley or pretends to throw a jab you can see McColley pawing at it you don't paw at jabs like
36:20that because then someone could come around fake the jab and come around with the left hook I think
36:24that's an opening right now. I mentioned the weight of Mark McColley coming in and that to me was as
36:31big a red flag as the quick turnaround if you portend to have a good camp full camp and you still come
36:38in at 299 pounds I understand he has been close to that weight in the past I think Karl's tack up he
36:44was around that weight but at his best last year when he fought Jared Anderson he was 284 that was a
36:51guy that was in great shape this is not a guy that looks in the best of shape.
36:55again would be puzzling if that were to be the case McColley has been out here in Riyadh for weeks
37:03training at the Mike Tyson gym as we've referenced other fighters have been
37:07it's not unusual for McColley to perhaps be content or not bothered by the fact that he's losing rounds he's thinking knockout all the time but you do wonder as we've been watching him does he have the gas tank to produce that
37:33nice counter right hand again there from Ajogba and then back with a stiff jab immediately
37:40stopped on the dime just to counter with that right hand it's risky but that's what you gotta do to get the respect out of a monster like McColley he's gonna keep coming he's gonna take your best shots you gotta keep giving him your best shot he's bound to break down
37:53the only way I could see Ajogba losing this fight if he loses focus or gets lazy like they've been telling him in the corner other than that this is easy work for F.A. Ajogba right now just keeping his range bouncing on the toes and popping that jab
38:15take a deep breath
38:22Obadu Jack getting wrapped up as he prepares for his cruiserweight title fight tonight against Noel McHaleen of course Jack one of the most popular fighters in the Middle East
38:37in his 40s still a factor in the cruiserweight division tonight taking on Noel McHaleen these two have kind of circled one another there's been a litany of postponements and cancellations more on that a little bit later on but what's important is that these two will finally get in the ring
38:58yeah and the question I have is did Noel McHaleen have a long enough camera who took this fight what must notice
39:11you know right now Sergio I know you're not a fan of the rah rah speech but Martin McColley needs a rah rah speech Martin McColley's gotta get going cause this fight's slipping away from him
39:19little bounce in McColley's step he is running after Ajogba right now
39:26that may be part of the problem too he's running at him not necessarily cutting the ring off
39:32you know the reason I'm not a fan of those speeches is because if you have to
39:37you have to be a cheerleader for a professional fighter then he doesn't have to fight in them you know there's times where you can encourage them in a
39:48in a round that he looked bad but if you have to do that every single round
39:52McColley only won one round pretty much he's the one losing the fight you know so he's the one that should be mustering up the strength
39:59knowing that he needs to break the distance double his jab way in just hit anything that Ajogba gives you but he is not doing that
40:06instead he's complaining getting frustrated and just getting out jabbed
40:11I think there's always room for the old Angelo Dundee you're blowing it son
40:15the Teddy Atlas we're all firefighters
40:18this room for those kind of speeches to box out
40:21hey listen man they're great soundbites to swim without getting wet as well by Nazim Richardson
40:26all in all man it
40:29you want a fighter that
40:31I mean
40:34McColley is begging Ajogba to fight him but Ajogba's not doing anything wrong here Sergio
40:39no he's not he's boxing and sticking to his game plan this is his strategy
40:43big shot
40:44and over the top there from Ajogba
40:46McColley might have connected in the midst of that too
40:48McColley is he reminds me of a spider web you know he's just going to stand there and wait for the flights to come to him but Ajogba's not going to be doing that he's not going to get stuck in that web he's going to keep moving around
41:04and McColley is going to stay in the middle of the ring following him
41:11you've got to find a way to cut him off Sergio though but just following him around is not going to be enough especially with this being a ten round fight and a little over two rounds to go
41:20well the body is what you got to do so if he's moving to your right you throw that right hook to get him to stop going to the right
41:25there we go McColley
41:27lands the floating left hook
41:29and doesn't take much
41:31Martin McColley coming alive here
41:34there were serious questions about whether he had this in him
41:41the blood smearing across the face of Ajogba as his corner begs him to get off the ropes
41:51McColley punching with mean intentions you can see that he punches through opponents
41:55every time he misses a shot it just goes straight through the line of fire
42:00Maddie! Maddie! Maddie! Maddie!
42:04Good body work there from Ajogba
42:07that's what I want to see McColley do with both hands
42:09McColley is an excellent body puncher
42:11start digging away at the body taking away
42:13big right hand there from McColley
42:16scary moments for Ajogba in what was otherwise another dominant round
42:26and here comes Canelo
42:32the face of boxing is in the house
42:36as he prepares for his main event tonight against Williams School
42:41a fresh pair of Skullcandy
42:44not Skullcandy headphones on top of his head as well
42:47maybe a message being sent there by Canelo Alvarez
42:50maybe not
42:51Canelo was telling us this week his plan was to get up around midnight
42:54jump into the cold plunge
42:56wake himself up
42:57and begin the process of getting ready for this fight
43:00but we talked to him all week long
43:01Sergio he seems like he's in the right place physically
43:04to be ready for this type of atmosphere
43:07I mean no one handles being a superstar all over the world like that man right there
43:11just so calm and collected and he lives for this man
43:15it's gonna be a real test story of what Efe Ajogba's got in it
43:22because I think Martin McColley is gonna finish strong here
43:27round nine is now underway
43:29I think this is the last round for Martin McColley to do something
43:35because once that tenth round rings adrenaline kicks in
43:38knowing that it's just three more minutes for a fight to end
43:41and Ajogba's just gonna move with that adrenaline
43:43so McColley better do something out of desperation in this round
43:46yeah I agree the footwork is gonna come back
43:48with that tenth round
43:49multi-season fight at the end of the tunnel
43:52Ajogba standing and trading here with McColley
43:55a little less mobile these are big opportunities for McColley
43:59you'd have to think based on how this fight has gone
44:02needs a knockout
44:04but it's Ajogba putting them together right now
44:09order of McColley screaming at him to throw the uppercuts in those moments
44:13that would be a good opportunity to let those go
44:16the right hand there from McColley
44:26and these are shots that he doesn't need a big wind up
44:29he just needs to touch you
44:32to produce an adverse reaction
44:38Ajogba just with the short punches inside
44:41McColley with the wide ones and of course it's always the short ones that count
44:45Ajogba's a smart fighter
44:49really smart fighter
44:50because he's great at distance
44:52just like that when he has the range
44:54but on the inside he doesn't pull back the punches
44:56the little short shots
44:58just to keep his opponent off of him
45:05see right here at Ajogba
45:06the only thing I would like to do is
45:07whenever you're in a clinch
45:09walk that big man back
45:10not only do big men hate being walk backwards
45:12but McColley doesn't have the legs anymore
45:16that's the only thing he needs to learn now
45:18back up big men like this
45:20Ajogba grinding out the clock a little bit here
45:23not looking quite as spry as he was earlier
45:25and how could he
45:26he's been doing a lot of moving
45:27and he's been taking shots like that
45:29every once in a while from McColley
45:31and another thing that
45:34that clinching and locking your opponent back does
45:37is you're killing the clock
45:39because by doing that the referee can't break you
45:41you're moving back until you hit the ropes
45:43then you break up
45:44that's gonna buy you 10-15 seconds
45:46that's how you kill the clock
45:4825 seconds remaining here in round 9
45:55silent roller F.A. Ajogba looking to be a clock killer
46:00beautiful
46:03I love that
46:05right hand again over the top there from McColley
46:09and we will head into the final round
46:14of this heavyweight contest
46:24believe in yourself
46:25yes come on man
46:26last one man
46:27stop boys
46:28I know you got more than that
46:29come on
46:30whatever one
46:31damn
46:32just the last round
46:34yes
46:35come on take a deep breath
46:37don't get on the ropes man
46:39get off them damn ropes
46:40and put your combinations together
46:42ok
46:43then you need
46:46if you put them down
46:47you'll get at least a draw here ok
46:49you need to
46:50bang them in
46:51fucking bang them in
46:52two hands ok
46:53come on
46:56give me the best round you've ever had in your life Martin
47:00come on
47:01yes
47:02ten seconds in his corners
47:06second's out
47:11your tenth and final round
47:17tenth and final round of a fight that we did not think would go this long
47:23and now you would have to think that F.A. Ajogba just needs to stay on his feet but he's gonna have a 300 pound monster rolling after him here for three minutes
47:33not even stay on his feet just stay at range you know keep popping the jabs stay at range and you're fine
47:38yeah and I've got an 87-84 in favor of F.A. Ajogba good run over the last two rounds by Martin Focola to close the gap the first half of this fight was largely dominated by F.A. Ajogba so 87-84 and I agree with you
47:54Martin F.A. Ajogba needs something big to win this fight
47:59now if you're looking for historical hope here for F.A. Ajogba obviously you look back to his own knockout power but Chris we saw Ajogba get hurt late by Guido Vianello recently as well so there are questions perhaps about the endurance of Ajogba and whether he can be vulnerable in these moments
48:16yeah knocked down two in the seventh round by Frank Sanchez in their fight so he is vulnerable he does have a tendency to keep that chin up in the air
48:23so far he's fought a very disciplined fight Martin Focola has been daring him to stay in the center of the ring why would he do that?
48:30like why would that make any sense? Great shot
48:34quick encounter there from Ajogba but look at Boccoli back with a two punch combination
48:39keep moving keep moving
48:46Ajogba navigating the perimeter of the ring
48:51if Boccoli would have fought like this earlier in the fight I think Ajogba would have used a lot of nervous energy and he would have been
48:58Boccoli would have been in a better position to get the knockout that he needs in this fight
49:04got 70 seconds to produce it right now
49:08and that's not going to be enough guys because right now Ajogba knows he's comfortably ahead and adrenaline running through his veins
49:14he just knows that he needs to stay in the perimeter of the ring moving to the left, moving to the right
49:19and this big man doesn't have the foot speed to break that distance
49:23give up this round if need be
49:25but Ajogba's already at the finish line
49:28I get the feeling too Sergio that Boccoli all these times he stood in the center of the ring talking to Ajogba telling him hey let's fight
49:43it's almost like he's telling himself this story already hey this guy ran away he didn't come to fight that's why I lost
49:48that's nonsense that's fooling yourself that's lying to yourself you need to break that distance with jab you need to break it with foot speed
49:56this is a flat footed monster he's only a beast if you come to him and stay in the same place
50:01when you stick and move then you exploit it
50:03F.A. Ajogba is a stable mate of Jared Anderson with top rank
50:09saw what happened to Jared Anderson when he let his guard down and slipped
50:14he has fought an excellent fight and the right fight based on his opponent
50:18a very composed boxing performance from F.A. Ajogba in the face of a threatening pressure fighter and in the face of a lot of animosity that could have tempted him to make mistakes here tonight he did not
50:37and not a good look for Martin Boccoli who got knocked out in his last fight with Joseph Parking and now I got outboxed by F.A. Ajogba with a full camp so there was no excuses I'm going back to back losses now
50:54Oh it's been made official the undisputed heavyweight championship is on the line at Wembley Stadium on July 19th as Oleksandr Rusyk and Daniel Dubois meet for the second time and on this occasion all the belts are on the line and what promises to be another history making night of the
51:23night on DAZN
51:29of course the winner of this contest will have their eyes on the winner of that fight
51:41big right hands like that on the back foot
51:44kept Boccoli even when he was having success landing some jabs those shots like that
51:48you know catching him coming in Boccoli wasn't moving his upper body and when he would land a big shot like this
51:54it was because Ajogba was against the ropes that's when his corner was telling him get off the ropes move laterally move around the ring
52:03good shots good good punches good right hands being exchanged but anytime Boccoli was having any kind of success like this
52:09it was Ajogba that got back on the jab back on the back foot
52:18good performance here from F.A. Ajogba
52:22as we send it back up to Todd and Daniel
52:27yeah thanks Corey me and Daniel sitting here ringside watching
52:30let me take a shot at Sergio he's acting like this is a foregone conclusion
52:35I think it might be a draw Danny I think they're not giving Boccoli enough credit
52:38you change one of those rounds that Mannix gave to Ajogba to Boccoli it's a draw
52:43I agree 100% I mean the fight was very intriguing leading up into the last round
52:48but I didn't get the feel that each fighter was winning convincingly
52:51so it's I'm curious to see how the judges score it but for me I would totally be fine with the draw
53:02alright
53:04well we will find out what the case is here as the scorecards are in the hands of Thomas Treiber
53:10ladies and gentlemen after 10 rounds of boxing we go to the judges scorecards
53:21Judge Kieran McCann scores it 96 to 94 in favor of F.A. Ajogba
53:28and both judges Pablo Gonzalez and Bob Williams are in agreement
53:32they both scored the same 95 to 95 this bout is a majority draw
53:45well credit to Todd and Daniel who predicted this this one is indeed a draw
53:51one judge seeing it 96-94 for Ajogba the other two
53:5595-95 Sergio we're a little bit surprised
53:57hey listen I'm very surprised and credit to Todd Grisham who I normally always disagree with when it comes to that but
54:04I got you listen I guess I like the aggression to come forward on the front foot by Boccoli but
54:10it was the easy shots to see Boccoli threw the easy shots to see and I think Ajogba was a little bit more active
54:18see right here the punches landed 190 over 145 to Boccoli that's what I was seeing
54:23but it was the power shots I guess that Todd Grisham and the judges were seeing the ones that clean punches to see the ones that knocked the sweat off of Ajogba
54:32the sexy punches
54:34alright we're ready to hear from the fighters who are standing by with Chris Mannix
54:39thank you Corey here with both men F.A. when that final bell rang did you think you've done enough to win the fight
54:45I won the fight to be honest I won the fight you know
54:47but it's not me to decide for the judges you know the judges are the one that scored the card you know what I mean that's called the fight but
54:54but inside me I won the fight
54:56I think a lot of people expected a knockout in this fight you came out looking like you were here to win a decision
55:02what was your game plan coming in?
55:04my game plan is to you know just use my feet work but
55:07you know I was you know my feet work was
55:09kind of a little bit tired you know I have to keep going you know what I mean so
55:14you keep putting pressure you know I have to keep going you know what I mean so
55:17I have to stay on top of my job but
55:19my job is not working as well you know what I mean so
55:22I have to get the watch jump but anyways I finish the movement
55:26I finish all throughout the round
55:28do you think this fight deserves a rematch?
55:30of course I want the rematch for sure but
55:32I want the rematch in the United States
55:34that's what I want
55:35all right hold on there F8 Martin same question to you
55:39did you think you did enough to win the fight?
55:45thank you
55:48first I would like to say thank you to Ajak Bahir
55:51and much respect to the Excellency for bringing me back again here
55:56and look I lose 10 kilos in 3 weeks
56:00after losing against Joseph Packer
56:04I work hard
56:06and I think I win the fight
56:09you know people say I win the fight
56:11but it is what it is the judge
56:13they say it's true
56:15I will ask Excellency if we can have a rematch
56:17so I can have a full camp
56:19I don't know if the champion is okay with that
56:21and I would like to come here
56:22thank you Saudi
56:24and I would like to say
56:25big shout for the big George Foreman
56:31must rest in peace
56:33thank you so much Saudi
56:36Martin did he surprise you with how he fought
56:39moving around the ring as much as he did?
56:41of course I think this guy here knows that
56:44I was struggling to lose weight
56:46that you see he was moving a lot
56:48by his clever Iweka
56:50so I think Martin Bakul with the full camp
56:52I don't think he will go 10 rounds
56:55but much respect to the champ
56:57to say yes to fight me
56:59and I would like to say thank you to his Excellency again
57:02and I'm looking forward to come back again here
57:04if he is here if he says rematch
57:06I'm going to open to him
57:08even Joseph Packer rematch
57:09you want to see Joseph Packer?
57:11that was some bad blood
57:14between you two during this fight week
57:16have you buried the hatchet here now?
57:18say again please?
57:19any more bad blood between you two?
57:20no no no no we brought us
57:22look this is African first
57:24so that is before the fight
57:26that is the mentality for the fight
57:28well we love each other
57:29you can see big kiss here
57:31thank you thank you my brother
57:33any bad blood for you Efe?
57:35first and foremost I want to thank the SLSC
57:38and Saudi Arabia
57:40I want to thank the SLSC
57:41and the top round for giving me this opportunity
57:43to be here in the Saudi Arabia
57:45thank you so much God bless you
57:46I hope to see you guys back
57:47doing this one more time
57:49guys