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Fury vs Joshua news: Bakole added as Boxxer weighs legal action

Martin Bakole has been lined up for the Fury vs Joshua undercard, but Boxxer's Ben Shalom says the heavyweight is still under contract and has called in his lawyers.

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Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua pose together at a press event
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua ahead of their 11 December 2026 fight at Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Martin Bakole has been added to the Fury vs Joshua undercard to face unbeaten Solomon Adebayo in Cardiff, but Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom says Bakole is still under contract with his company and has referred the matter to his lawyers, according to Uncrowned.

The heavyweight bout was reported by The Independent on Thursday, and listed in DAZN’s daily roundup, as one of the latest additions to an all-heavyweight main card headed by Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua at the Principality Stadium on Friday 11 December. Everything you need for fight night is in our Fury vs Joshua fight centre.

The latest

Bakole (21-2-1, 16 KOs) has not fought since his draw with Efe Ajagba in May 2025. The Independent reports that Adebayo (15-0, 14 KOs) had been due to fight Ivan Magumba in Nairobi on 28 November, and that bout could now be cancelled.

Uncrowned reported late on Thursday that Shalom believes Bakole remains tied to Boxxer. Bakole is said to believe he is out of contract, while Shalom says the fighter turned down a number of offers after the Ajagba bout. Uncrowned also reports that Shalom suspects Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing is behind the fight, and that it understands White had a significant role in shaping the Cardiff undercard even though he is contractually barred from promoting the event.

The rest of the confirmed support is unchanged: Deontay Wilder against Jai Opetaia is the chief support, and Da’Mazion Vanhouter faces Michael Essomba.

Away from the ring, ESPN reports that Cardiff residents have lodged objections to the event running into the early hours. Organisers want a special licence for ring walks at 1am, which would allow the event to finish at 3am. The request is on the agenda for the Cardiff Council Licensing Sub Committee meeting on 25 November. We covered the original plan in our earlier report on the 1am ring walk.

What they said

“I saw the announcement at the same time you did.”

Ben Shalom, Boxxer promoter, to Uncrowned

“Nothing has changed since our position in April/May.”

Ben Shalom, asked whether Bakole was still under contract with Boxxer, to Uncrowned

“Yeah, he [Dana White] has never lied to y’all. So, if they say that is where I am going to be fighting then that is where I am going to be fighting.”

Da’Mazion Vanhouter at the Zuffa Boxing 12 press conference, via Boxing News

“The disruption associated with a major stadium event does not end when the final activity inside the stadium finishes.”

A Cardiff resident in an objection to the licence application, via ESPN

Undercard news

  • Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: main event, vacant WBA Super heavyweight title
  • Deontay Wilder vs Jai Opetaia: chief support, Opetaia’s first fight at heavyweight (our report)
  • Martin Bakole vs Solomon Adebayo: reported by The Independent and DAZN; Boxxer disputes Bakole’s availability
  • Da’Mazion Vanhouter vs Michael Essomba: confirmed

Talking points

  • Zuffa’s fingerprints on the card. Wilder v Opetaia and Vanhouter v Essomba both involve Zuffa Boxing fighters, according to Uncrowned, and Bakole’s inclusion is the third bout with a link to Dana White’s operation. That gives White a strong presence on a show he cannot promote.
  • A familiar dispute. Uncrowned notes that Boxxer is already suing Zuffa over the alleged poaching of Chris Billam-Smith and Sam Hickey. If lawyers get involved over Bakole, the bout is the most likely part of the card to change before 11 December.
  • The 25 November hearing matters. The planned 1am ring walk is built around a Netflix audience across time zones. If the licence is refused, events with the roof closed must finish by 1am, according to ESPN, which would force an earlier main event.

Fight night: the key details

  • Date: Friday 11 December 2026
  • Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
  • Ring walk: planned for around 1am on Saturday 12 December, subject to the Cardiff Council licensing decision
  • TV: live on Netflix
  • Title: vacant WBA Super heavyweight title
  • Fight centre: Fury vs Joshua fight centre

Sources

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