For a fighter who has literally disrupted the unhurried pace of the heavyweight division, it must have been a complete curveball to have found himself fighting on arguably boxing’s greatest card. But such is life in boxing. Martin Bakole must have been looking forward to the purported square-up with the Nigerian Efe Ajagba. The duo was slated for a potential May showdown in the United States. But a shocking turn of events has thrust Bakole into the ring much sooner than expected.

Five months after he drubbed Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois was supposed to defend his IBF title from Joseph Parker. But come fight night, reports emerged that Dubois had to withdraw after he fell sick with a viral infection. Left with no choice, the organizers searched for a suitable replacement. Their sights fell on Martin Bakole. Ever since he knocked out Jared Anderson, the Congolese heavyweight has been basking in unprecedented success. But before he heads out to retrieve Parker’s WBO (interim) belt, let’s check out a few details regarding Bakole’s surging wealth.

Martin Bakole’s net worth and fight purse history

There appears to be a consensus regarding Martin Bakole’s net worth. Both ‘Sporty Salaries’ and Tanzania-based portal ‘Mabumbe’ suggest that the Kananga-born fighter’s net worth should be somewhere between $1.5 and $2 million.

To get a better picture, a brief perusal of the payouts from his previous fights might help. Beginning his career a decade ago on March 25, 2014, Martin Bakole has thus participated in 22 professional fights. Information about his initial bouts remains sketchy. However, details are available from 2017, especially when he fought Ali Baghouz for his first regional title – the IBO Continental heavyweight. According to ‘Sport Salaries,’ he received around $7000 for the match.

The situation slightly improved when he defended his title from DL Jones. For the June 2019 bout, he received approximately $12,000. Though his next attempt at capturing the IBO Intercontinental belt failed, Bakole nevertheless took home a handsome reward of $25,000.

He received a similar remuneration when he faced Mariusz Wach for the Polish heavyweight title. Perhaps 2019 was the year when Martin Bakole had been the most active. After the Wach fight, he entered the ring three more times, making a total of $135,000 for the whole year.

Bakole received his first six-figure ($125,000) payout in 2020 when he fought the Russian Sergey Kuzmin for the vacant WBC International heavyweight title. Though his purse decreased to $50,000 when he fought a non-title bout against the Ghanian Haruna Osumanu, Bakole soon caught up with the fight that put his name in the headlines – the Tony Yoka fight. The win over the Olympic gold medalist helped Bakole secure a $150,000 payout.

In 2023, in the fights against Ihor Shevadzutskyi and Carlos Takam, which marked his Riyadh Season debut, Martin Bakole’s total fight purse amounted to $225,000, according to ‘Sporty Salaries.’ It was when he fought Jared Anderson that the Congolese heavyweight received his biggest payout – $375,000.

How much is Martin Bakole earning against Joseph Parker?

Reports suggest that Martin Bakole is poised to receive over half a million dollars ($600,000) for fighting Joseph Parker. The New Zealander nevertheless will take home the lion’s share of the guaranteed purse, which is said to be in the neighborhood of $2 million.

Though details are not available, Martin Bakole must be having some sponsorship and endorsement deals in hand. Thus, adding those to his earnings from boxing, his overall net worth should look significantly better.

Should Bakole win, do you think Daniel Dubois should call him out for a title challenge?