
MARTIN BAKOLE has stepped in for Daniel Dubois at the last minute to face Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
Dubois was due to defend his IBF heavyweight world title but pulled out with illness on Thursday.
The Congolese 31-year-old will now face Parker in Riyadh as the co-main event to Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol.
And here we discuss the best free bets and welcome offers you can claim for the fight.
Find The Sun’s betting publishing principles here
Bakole vs Parker
This is obviously not the fight either man were preparing for so it makes predictions pretty difficult.
But as we originally went for a Dubois victory in the later stages we’ll take a look at the markets for some value.
- Martin Bakole to win at 29/20 with BetMGM
- Joseph Parker to win at 13/8 with bet365
- Draw at 18/1 with BetMGM
Bakole vs Parker betting tips
Parker, who responded to defeat to Joe Joyce in 2022 by recording five-straight wins including the scalps of Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, is in great form coming into this one.
He was the underdog to face Dubois but will come into this match up with Bakole as the favourite.
However we’ve seen it before where late replacements can use the surprise factor.
Bakole has just one loss in 22 fights – back in 2018 to Michael Hunter – as well as 16 knockouts.
Here, SunSport betting experts provide their top tips and best odds for Saturday’s showdown in Riyadh.
Joseph Parker unanimous decision 9/2 with bet365
There’s no doubt that Joseph Parker is enjoying the form of his life after five-consecutive victories.
He also has experience on his side having been in the ring with the likes of Anthony Joshua, Andy Ruiz, Deontay Wilder, Joe Joyce, Zhilei Zhang and Derek Chisora in his 38-fight career, which includes four world title fights.
And while he has not prepared for Bakole we think he’ll still have too much in the tank.
He beat Deontay Wilder by unanimous decision in Riyadh back in December 2023, and we could see the same happening here.
Bet on Joseph Parker to win by UD at 9/2 with bet365
Martin Bakole to win by KO 17/2 with bet365
The alternative option…
As we said Bakole is good for a knockout, and he may just take Parker by surprise here.
He saw off Jared Anderson in his last fight in round five in August to win the WBO International and vacant WBC-NABF heavyweight titles.
And while a long shot it might be worth a go given the nature of the contest.
Martin Bakole to win by KO 17/2 with bet365
How to watch Bakole vs Parker
- Location: The fight will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Date and time: Martin Bakole vs Joseph Parker is set to take place on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II, on Saturday, February 22. The card gets underway from 4pm GMT, with Bakole and Parker to fight before the main event at around 9pm GMT.
- How to watch: Martin Bakole vs Joseph Parker will be shown live on DAZN. DAZN will broadcast the fight live to over 200 countries on their website. The event does not require a subscription and is on pay-per-view for £19.99.
Bakole vs Parker undercard
There’s certainly no shortage of action at the Kingdom Arena on Saturday.
Martin Bakole vs Joseph Parker would be considered a main event in its own right in most cases, but it offers chief support to the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol this weekend.
The rematch between Beterbiev and Bivol sees the WBA, WBO, IBF and WBC light-heavyweight world titles on the line, just over four months after their historic clash that Beterbiev, 39, won by majority decision.
Elsewhere Shakur Stevenson defends his WBC lightweight title against Briton Josh Padley, while Zhilei Zhang takes on Agit Kabayel for the vacant WBC interim heavyweight title.
Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith will also face off for the WBO interim light-heavyweight title.
- Joshua Buatsi v Callum Smith (light-heavyweight)
- Zhilei Zhang v Agit Kabayel (heavyweight)
- Vergil Ortiz Jr v Israil Madrimov (light-middleweight)
- Carlos Adames v Hamzah Sheeraz (WBC middleweight world title)
- Shakur Stevenson v Josh Padley (WBC lightweight world title)
- Martin Bakole v Joseph Parker
- Artur Beterbiev v Dmitry Bivol (undisputed light-heavyweight championship)
About the author

James Anderson
James Anderson is a Betting & Gaming Writer at The Sun. He is an expert in sports betting and online casinos, and joined the company in November 2020 to work closely with leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to curate content in all areas of sports betting. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter and Head of Live Blogs/Events at the Daily Express and Daily Star, covering football, cricket, snooker, F1 and horse racing.
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