Martin Bakole will replace Daniel Dubois and fight Joseph Parker on Saturday night.

Dubois was all set to defend his IBF heavyweight title against Parker in the co-main event of a stacked Saudi card headlined by Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol’s rematch for the undisputed light heavyweight titles.

Dubois vs Parker is off after the Brit fell illCredit: Getty

Bakole has stepped in to replace DuboisCredit: Getty

However, Dubois had to withdraw from the bill on Thursday after after the 27-year-old was deemed medically unfit to compete by doctors.

Fast-rising Congolese star Bakole will step to take his place in the chief support slot on two days’ notice in what will now be a non-title fight.

Lawrence Okolie, David Adeleye and Mourad Aliev were initially said to be the frontrunners to replace Dubois. However, Parker will instead face a far sterner test in Bakole.

The heavy-handed African superstar was widely written off after falling to the first defeat of his professional career against Michael Hunter in 2018.

But he flipped the script by laying waste to Tony Yoka, Carlos Takam and Jared Anderson in a stunning run that served to boost his stock tenfold.

Prior to his destructive fifth-round stoppage win over Anderson, the young American was being touted as the future of the heavyweight division, yet he proved no match for Bakole.

The 31-year-old earned a No.6 spot in the Ring heavyweight rankings for his impressive display and was subsequently ordered to face Efe Ajagba in an IBF final eliminator to determine the mandatory for Dubois.

That fight was planned to be a part of an exciting May card in New York which also featured Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney in separate bouts. It is presently unclear whether that bout is still set to go ahead.

What we do know is that Bakole is about to hop on a flight to the Middle East to boost what many pundits are calling ‘the greatest card in boxing history’.

An ecstatic Ben Shalom told talkSPORT: “Fair play to Martin, two days notice… I was up on the press conference, we came a bit close I came back and it was like a final play to make the best fight for the card.

“Okay, not ideal for the fighters. Everyone has to take a risk but I knew his excellency would see this as the best fight available and it is the best fight available. Credit to everyone involved.”

Shalom added: “Bakole’s in the Congo! We managed to find a flight for him before we put his name forward because we were nervous… but he’ll be here.

“He’s not in training camp. He’s not, but Martin Bakole can beat anyone and we’re extremely confident.

“Parker’s the fittest heavyweight on the planet in my opinion so he’s taking a risk, but so is Joseph Parker. It’s just a fight that Martin wanted.”

Bakole knocked out Anderson in his last outingCredit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom

It comes after Bakole’s manager and trainer Billy Nelson took to social media to campaign for his fighter to replace Dubois.

“@Turki_alalshikh we await your call. @MartinBakole01 is ready to rumble,” read the first tweet.

“We have instructed our promoter to tell the appropriate people that @MartinBakole01 is ready to fly to Saudi Arabia to fight Joe Parker, no problem whatsoever.

“@MartinBakole01 has his bags ready @Turki_alalshikh we are ready to replace Daniel no problem.”

Bakole will be delighted to have received the call.

The Airdrie-based heavyweight has been chasing the big fights to no avail over the last couple of years, leading to him being branded ‘the most avoided heavyweight on the planet’ by the British press.

Parker, a legitimate top-five heavyweight, serves as a big step up for Bakole on paper.

The Kiwi is a former WBO heavyweight champion and is also in a rich vein of form.

After getting knocked out by Joe Joyce in 2022, Parker rebounded with five consecutive wins including notable victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang last time out.

Parker insisted he was ready to take on whoever steps into the ring on Saturday night, but is treating Bakole with full respect.

“He is a beast,” the 33-year-old said. “I am looking forward to challenging myself against Martin Bakole. He has been avoided, so let’s get it on.

“(It will be) very difficult, he is going to be flying in, so we will see how he is. I know he has been training hard.”

Parker added: “Things happen in life, not just boxing, in life. You’ve got to adapt, adjust, and go forward, no matter what.”