Unbeaten French heavyweight prospect Tony Yoka will take another big step in his young pro career for his next fight.
Yoka will fight heavyweight veteran Alexander Dimitrenko on July 13 in Anitbes, France. This will be Yoka’s sixth pro bout since making his debut back in the summer of 2017.
The Frenchman won gold in the 2016 Olympics as a super heavyweight and promptly turned pro the next year, winning three times that year. In just five pro fights, Yoka has already won four of them inside the distance and owns a win over rising British contender Dave Allen.
The 27-year-old Yoka has not fought since stopping Allen in June 2018. The reason for Yoka’s absence was due to a lengthy suspension by the French Anti-Doping Agency as a result of missing multiple drug tests in a number of months. It should be noted that Yoka never officially failed any drug tests, but was not present at the time when he was required to. During his absence, Yoka has gone on to spar with multiple notable boxers, most recently with former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker as he prepares for his next month on June 29 in Providence, Rhode Island.
Dimitrenko has faced a number of top contenders throughout the years and even past and present world champions. The 36-year-old Dimitrenko, a former EBU European champion, has faced the likes of Parker, Bryant Jennings, Kubrat Pulev and even current unified champion Andy Ruiz Jr. back in April. Dimitrenko’s last win inside the ring was against Miljan Rovcanin back in late 2017.
