Martin Bakole vs Joseph Parker TV channel, live stream and ringwalk times
by Aaron Morris, Ben Crawford · Wales OnlineMartin Bakole goes toe-to-toe with Joseph Parker on Saturday night, stepping in as an eleventh-hour replacement for Daniel Dubois.
'DDD' will have hoped to have defended his newly-acquired IBF heavyweight title against New Zealander Parker in Saudi Arabia, until he reportedly fell ill earlier this week and was forced to withdraw from the contest. Instead, Bakole will take to the squared-circle in the biggest fight of his career to date.
Boasting a record of 21-1, Bakole is fresh off the back of a fifth-round KO over Jared Anderson and rides a ten-fight winning streak. And a win over Parker will change his life forever, with the WBO confirming that the victor of the contest will go on to face Oleksandr Usyk for the promotional title.
Parker will also be vying for a shot at heavyweight gold however, with hopes of increasing his own five-fight winning streak further. As of late, the 33-year-old has bested the likes of Deontay Wilder and the gutsy Zhilei Zhang – who also fights on this bout’s undercard. However, this significant clash isn't the headline act of the evening.
Light heavyweight undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev is set for a rematch with ex-title holder Dmitry Bivol after their initial encounter was decided by the narrowest of margins. Russian-Canadian pugilist Beterbiev emerged victorious from the contest, with two ringside judges scoring it 115-113 and 116-112 in his favour, while one judged it a draw.
The result was shrouded in controversy, and the second bout is expected to bring a thrilling event to a close. The undercard boasts names such as Zhang, Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith. Shakur Stevenson was scheduled to take on Floyd Schofield for the WBC lightweight title, but this fight has now been cancelled due to the latter falling ill, reports the Daily Record.
What time does Martin Bakole vs Joseph Parker start in the UK?
The highly anticipated fight between Bakole and Parker is set to light up the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Saturday, 22 February.
UK fans can expect the undercard to kick off at 4:45pm, with the main event featuring Bakole vs Parker estimated to start around 9:40pm UK time. However, should any earlier bouts conclude ahead of schedule, the pair could make their ring walks sooner.
How to watch Martin Bakole vs Joseph Parker
For those eager to catch every punch live, three broadcasters hold the rights to air the fight in the UK. The full card will be available on Sky Sports Box Office, DAZN, and TNT Sports Box Office.
Sky customers can secure their virtual ringside seat for £19.95, while TNT Sports is offering the event for £19.99, accessible via discovery+, EE TV, Prime Video, and Virgin Media TV. DAZN has also priced the entire card at £19.99.
Entire fight card
- Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol
- Martin Bakole vs Joseph Parker
- Shakur Stevenson vs Floyd Schofield
- Carlos Adames vs Hamzah Sheeraz
- Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Israil Madrimov
- Zhilei Zhang vs Agit Kabayel
- Joshua Buatsi vs Callum Smith
Quotes corner
Joseph Parker: "Turning professional at 20 is a very young age, and being champion of the world at 24... you've achieved what you set out to achieve, and you wonder what's next. I didn't have any thoughts about unification fights or becoming undisputed. It was just about being a champion of the world.
"This time it's different; I'm more mature, I understand what I'm doing and what I want in boxing. I want to be champion of the world. I want to be the unified champion of the world and avenge the losses I've had."
Ben Shalom [Martin Bakole's promotor]: "This is about Martin Bakole, and this is about a man in the heavyweight division taking a fight on two days' notice against a top-five heavyweight. It's unheard of. That's why I'm buzzing about that, I've never worked with a fighter that will operate like that, that will work like that. He's worked all his life, he's at the top of the sport now for the first time, getting that recognition. To go in there against Joseph Parker who's literally just been the king slayer for the past year or two."