Heavyweight Tony Yoka will look to get his career back on track when he faces Carlos Takam in Paris this month.
The 2016 Olympic champion made a solid start to his career, but his path to a world title was halted by Martin Bakole in May 2022.
While Yoka still has plenty of time left in his career to achieve his ambitions, Takam is coming to the end of his career and he will do all he can to pick up another famous win.
What | Tony Yoka v Carlos Takam |
Where | Zenith de Paris-La Villette, Paris |
When | Saturday 11th March 2023 |
How to watch | Sky Sports |
Odds | Tony Yoka 1/7, Carlos Takam 4/1 |
The fight is scheduled to take place on Saturday 11th March 2023.
Television coverage of the main card should start at 20:00, while the main event is scheduled to start at 23:00. This could change depending on the length of the undercard fights.
Yoka and Takam will trade blows at the Zenith de Paris-La Villette in Paris, France.
The venue has hosted numerous pop concerts over the years, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Spice Girls, Coldplay and Rihanna.
The Zenith de Paris-La Villette has a capacity of 6,293, and Yoka will return there for the first time since 2017 when he beat Jonathan Rice via unanimous decision in just his second professional fight.
Sky Sports plans to broadcast the fight in the UK, with viewers able to watch Takam once again after his clashes with numerous British heavyweights.
Yoka remains the overwhelming favourite for March's bout. He is 1/7 To Win Fight while Takam is priced at 4/1.
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No. There are no belts on the line for the fight in Paris, but Yoka is ranked ninth with the IBF in their heavyweight rankings.
While a victory for either man will not be enough to earn a world title shot, the winner could push on and secure another big fight before the end of 2023.
Frenchman Yoka has won 11 fights and only suffered one defeat since he turned professional in 2017.
Yoka started his career on home soil in Paris, stopping Travis Clark in 2017. He beat Doncaster's David Allen in just his fifth fight before then overcoming Christian Hammer in 2020 to take his record to 9-0.
A win over Joel Tambewe Djeko helped him claim the EBU European Union heavyweight title before he ended 2021 in style with a stoppage victory over Petar Milas.
However, Bakole's points victory last year threw a spanner in the works and Yoka's record now stands at 11-1. Aged 30, he needs to get back to winning ways if he wants to win a world title.
Takam's record stands at 39-7-1, and he has enjoyed a superb career as he tries to enjoy the final few fights before retiring.
The Frenchman started his career in 2005, racing to 18-0 before losing to Gregory Tony in 2009.
Takam won another 11 fights before his progress was halted by a draw against Mike Perez in 2014. He responded by beating Tony Thompson to win the WBC Silver heavyweight title, only to then lose that strap to Alexander Povetkin of Russia in October 2014.
His next defeat came at the hands of Joseph Parker in 2016, while Anthony Joshua, Derek Chisora and Joe Joyce have also beaten him.
Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lauren Price continues her professional career on the undercard as she prepares to fight Naomi Mannes at welterweight.
At super-middleweight, Farhaad Saad and Macauley McGowan will clash, while at light heavyweight, Dan Azeez hopes to extend his unbeaten record against Thomas Faure.
Azeez stopped Rocky Fielding at the end of 2022 in what proved to be the latter's last professional fight. He will now challenge Faure for the European light heavyweight title in what will be the biggest bout of his career to date.
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