Yoka (15-3, 12 KOs), the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, returns to his hometown for a heavyweight bout against former world champion Okolie (22-1, 16 KOs). Both men are 33 and now in the heavyweight division.
Yoka began his professional career with 11 straight wins before suffering three straight losses. Since moving his training base to London, he has rebuilt with four wins in a row. This fight represents his most important fight since that streak of losses.
Okolie is a two-weight world champion, holding titles in cruiserweight and bridgeweight. Now campaigning at heavyweight, he holds the WBC silver belt and recently defended it against Kevin Lerena at Wembley Stadium last July. His size, reach and ability to tie up inside remain central to his approach at the higher weight.
Promoter Frank Warren outlined the ambition behind the Paris event.
“I am delighted to extend our reach to the French capital,” said Warren. “In Tony Yoka and Bakary Samake, we have two great stars capable of reviving the sport in an important and historic area of ​​boxing.”
Yoka needs to establish his jab early and prevent Okolie from tying him up inside. If he allows Okolie to dictate distance, the pace slows and the fight becomes physical.
The co-feature pits undefeated super welterweight Bakary Samake (19-0, 11 KOs) in a WBC final against Ermal Hadribeaj (22-0-1, 8 KOs). Samake holds the WBC Silver title and is positioned for a direct route into the championship order with a win.
“Bakary, meanwhile, is looking for his WBC Silver title in a final eliminator against a tough and experienced opponent in Ermal Hadribeaj,” Warren added.
Hadribeaj, a Miami-based southpaw known for disciplined footwork and consistent punch selection, has defended the WBC International title multiple times and steps in as an undefeated contender looking to disrupt the domestic main narrative.
The April 25 event has direct implications in two weight classes. At heavyweight, Yoka tries to push himself back into the contender mix against a former world champion. At super welterweight, Samake is fighting for mandatory ground in the WBC order. The results will determine how quickly either man moves toward a sanctioned title opportunity.
