Lawrence Okolie eyeing blockbuster heavyweight clash with Martin Bakole

Lawrence Okolie has set his sights on heavyweight 'boogeyman' Martin Bakole as the two-weight world champion looks to make up for lost time in the blue-riband division.

The Queensberry star previously held titles at both cruiserweight and bridgerweight before making a colossal leap into the stacked heavyweight division last year.

He wasted no time in stopping the unheralded Hussein Muhamed on his debut at the new weight class, needing just two minutes to put the German contender to bed at Wembley Arena in December.

A domestic clash with Richard Riakporhe was set to represent a step up in quality last month, but Okolie was forced to pull out of the scheduled bout just a couple of weeks out after sustaining an injury in training.

His withdrawal was met by skepticism from Riakporhe, who subsequently fired a verbal assault towards his opponent, labelling the 32-year-old a 'phoney' and questioning the legitimacy of his 'apparent' injury.

Now, speaking to Sky Sports, Okolie has hit back at his domestic foe, telling him he has far bigger fish to fry as he looks to make inroads towards a potential world title opportunity.

"(Richard) Riakporhe is a liar, he's a compulsive liar," he said on Wednesday.

When it comes to somebody like Riakporhe, I am a two-time world champion and he's a 35-year-old prospect, he hasn't done anything in his career of note.

- Lawrence Okolie (Sky Sports)

"Yes I want to tick that one off, but he's not first on my hit list - I want to get to the top and I won't do that by beating somebody like him."

The 32-year-old is instead targetting seemingly tougher, and bigger name opponents, with Bakole, together with Agit Kabayel and Joseph Parker, all on the Londoner's hit-list.

"Bakole is more the type of fight I want," he added.

"I heard Bakole called me out today so that's the fight I want next. Him, (Agit) Kabayel, (Joseph) Parker, - obviously you have to wait in line for the world champions but those are the fights I want.

"Somebody like Riakporhe, he has to do something with his career, because we had a little dust-up in the cinema that's what he's trying to dine out on."

"Right now, I'm far more interested in Bakole."

Mark Mothershaw

• Queensberry
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