Former champion Lawrence Okolie faces Olympic gold medallist Tony Yoka, headlining “Le Double” on Saturday, April 25, at the Adidas Arena in Paris. The event marks Queensberry Promotions’ debut in France, following a showdown in Germany this past January.
The co-feature pits Bakary Samake against Ermal Hadribeaj in a final eliminator for the WBC super welterweight title.
“I am thrilled to be extending our reach to the French capital,” said promoter Frank Warren. “As in Britain and Germany, the passion for boxing in France runs deep.”
“In Tony Yoka and Bakary Samake, we have two major stars capable of reigniting the sport in an important and historic boxing territory.”
“There was immense pressure on Tony when he turned professional following his Olympic success, carrying the hopes of a nation on his shoulders. While he performed in sold-out arenas, perhaps the expectations came too soon. Now training in London, he returns as a revitalised, confident fighter, and his homecoming clash with Lawrence Okolie will be a cracker.”
“Bakary, meanwhile, is looking to trade up his WBC Silver title in a final eliminator against a tough and experienced opponent in Ermal Hadribeaj. Victory would see another French star firmly established and help secure a bright future for boxing in France.”
- Okolie (23-1, 17 KOs) of London comes off a second-round RTD over Ebenezer Tetteh last December in Nigeria, following a unanimous decision victory over Kevin Lerena in July.
- Yoka (15-3, 12 KOs) of France also won two fights last year, scoring a first-round knockout over Patrick Korte and a unanimous decision over Arslan Yallyev.
- France’s undefeated Samake (19-0, 11 KOs) won fights in 2025 inside the distance against Alejandro Ortiz in October and Roarke Knapp in April.
- Unbeaten U.S.-based Albanian Hadribeaj (22-0-1, 8 KOs) defeated Placido Ramirez by unanimous decision in November and Ilhami Aydemir by an eight-round TKO in May.
The bouts featured on the Okolie vs Yoka undercard are expected to be announced shortly.