After long months of verbal jousting via interposed media and postponed appointments, heavyweights Tony Yoka and Johann Duhaupas will face each other on Friday, September 25 in Paris, Canal + , broadcaster of the fight , announced on Wednesday . “The conquest resumes! For his eighth professional fight, Tony Yoka will face Frenchman Johann Duhaupas on Friday September 25 in Paris, in the main fight of a big boxing evening presented by All Star Boxing (ex-Ringstar) and Canal + ”, announced the encrypted channel in a press release sent to AFP .
The venue for this evening, however, was not announced by Canal + , partner and broadcaster with whom Yoka signed an exclusive contract in 2017. It will be the first fight in twelve rounds of three minutes for the Olympic champion (+91 kg) from Rio-2016. At 28, Yoka will return to the ring for the first time since his victory in Nantes on September 28, 2019 against the German Michael Wallisch (referee stoppage in the third round).
8th pro fight to continue #laconquete this time against @JohannDuhaupas
It will be in Paris on September 25, and on @canalplus Looking forward
to meeting you pic.twitter.com/PZUkynWd7a
While serving a 12-month suspension from French anti-doping for three breaches of his localization obligations ("no shows"), Yoka had announced at the microphone of Canal + in February 2019 his desire to fight against Johann Duhaupas. After his victorious return to the rings in July 2019 (victory over the German Alexander Dimitrenko by stopping the referee on the 3rd round), the date of December 14, 2019 was a moment mentioned for the clash, but the discussions have finally succeeded on Wednesday.
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This duel offers French boxing a very beautiful poster between two ultra-mediatized sportsmen. In a corner of the ring, Tony Yoka who is launched in his "Conquest", very scripted by his broadcaster Canal + and supposed to lead him to the world title among professionals. This will be his 8th fight (seven victories, including six by KO) since his stint with the pros, after his Olympic coronation. In the other corner of the ring, Johann Duhaupas (39 years old, 38 wins including 25 by KO for 5 defeats), champion of France in 2013.
In September 2015, Picard had pushed the American Deontay Wilder to his limits, one of the world stars in the premier class and known to be one of the most powerful hitters, only yielding on the 11th round. He lost in the 6th round against another heavyweight star, Russian Alexander Povetkin, in December 2016. Estelle Yoka-Mossely, Olympic champion (-60 kg) in Rio in 2016, and Souleymane Cissokho, in bronze in Rio- 2016 (-69 kg), will also be showing on September 25.
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