“I feel Murat’s style is a perfect match for me.” Tony Yoka prepares for Murat Gassiev
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 20 Jun 2026
Lausanne, Switzerland — The Rio 2016 Olympic gold medalist Tony Yoka will challenge Murat Gassiev for the WBA heavyweight world title in the main event of IBA PRO 19 on Saturday, 11 July 2026 at the VTB Arena in Moscow. Victory would make Yoka the first Frenchman to become a professional heavyweight world champion.
The opportunity emerged shortly after Yoka’s scheduled contest with Lawrence Okolie on 25 April was cancelled. Following a conversation with his manager, Yoka consulted his family and team before agreeing to face one of the division’s most dangerous punchers.
“I feel that I will be even better prepared for this fight than I was for April. I will be more than ready.”
Yoka believes the defending champion remains at his physical peak, but also insists that his own size, movement and technical background present a challenge unlike any Gassiev has faced since moving to heavyweight.
“I feel Murat’s style is a perfect match for me because he comes forward and likes to fight,” Yoka said. “I am taller, and I believe I have better movement and technique. I think our two styles make for a perfect match-up.”
Before turning professional, Yoka established himself as one of the leading amateur heavyweights of his generation. He claimed gold at the 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships before defeating Joe Joyce in the final of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
His professional career began with 11 consecutive victories before a difficult stretch between 2022 and 2023 that included defeats to Martin Bakole, Carlos Takam and Ryad Merhy. Yoka now believes that period is firmly behind him.
“Everything was going badly for me in 2022 and 2023,” he admitted. “It was a little bit of everything. There were boxing issues, I was too light, I was working with the wrong people and the wrong promoter, and I also had problems in my family.
“But I have moved past it. I have now won four fights in a row, and I do not think about that period anymore. I believe I am entering the final chapter of my career, and I hope it will be a beautiful one.”
Yoka also believes the heavyweight division is entering a new era following the dominance of Oleksandr Usyk. While he acknowledged Usyk’s legacy, the French contender sees an open landscape in which several boxers could emerge as the division’s leading figure over the coming years.
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