After ten high-intensity rounds in the ring of the Zénith de Paris, Tony Yoka conceded on points a second consecutive defeat against Carlos Takam on a split decision of the judges.
Tony Yoka was unsuccessful in his comeback. Ten months after conceding the first defeat of his career against Martin Bakole, “The artist” suffered a new setback. In the ring set up in the heart of the Zénith de Paris, Carlos Takam got the better of the former Olympic champion after ten very intense rounds. Indeed, if there was an observation sequence during the first three minutes of the fight, the Cameroonian very quickly took advantage of his larger size than his opponent to place more powerful blows.
Taking advantage of greater mobility, Tony Yoka tried to respond with precision but, very quickly, Carlos Takam took the lead and a perfectly placed uppercut during the fourth round was the perfect materialization of the balance of power in the ring. . Struggling to respond to his opponent’s punches, the Paris native ended the fifth round with an open brow bone following an unintentional headbutt. After putting a lot of energy into the first rounds of the fight, Carlos Takam began to lose intensity.
Ouuh the right of Takam which hurts Yoka from the 4th round! 💥 #YokaTakam pic.twitter.com/AjqCEoxAEQ
– CANAL+ Sport (@CanalplusSport) March 11, 2023
Takam made his punching power speak
Tony Yoka, feeling that the dynamic could be reversed, tried to play on his strengths. More solid in defense, he found several openings in the guard of Carlos Takam. However, the latter still had some in his gloves and, at the very end of the seventh round, he managed to fly the Frenchman’s mouth guard on a sequence of two right hooks having found the target. Back to the wall, Tony Yoka had no choice but to take the initiative on the last three occasions. Faced with an opponent always having his head down and starting to seriously run out of juice, the Habs did not know how to be precise enough to shake the Cameroonian.
Despite the support of the Parisian public, Tony Yoka failed to make the decision before the conclusion of the tenth round, leaving the judges to decide the outcome of the fight. If the first two gave a score of 96-94, one for Takam then the other for Yoka, the third allowed the Cameroonian to sign a 40th victory in 48 fights. With this second defeat in thirteen professional fights, Tony Yoka was unable to respond fully present.
96 – 94
94 – 96
96 – 94💥 Carlos Takam wins on split decision! Second loss in a row for Tony Yoka! 💥#YokaTakam pic.twitter.com/JGaH6Y0wfL
– CANAL+ Sport (@CanalplusSport) March 11, 2023
Yoka: “I have to go back to work”
At the microphone of Canal+ shortly after the conclusion of the fight, the Parisian confided that it was not the end of the journey. “I was counting on this fight to reconnect with victory in front of my audience. Unlike last year with my poor preparation, this year I am very disappointed, did he declare. We have been preparing for this fight since November, him like me. He prepared very well. He was the smartest tactically, the strongest. I felt a drop in speed but we started strong, he too was exhausted. I’m disappointed, I wanted to please the public. I have progressed on certain aspects but not enough, I have to go back to work. »
Carlos Takam, meanwhile, confided all his admiration for his opponent of the day after what he presented as “a big fight”. “He is the future of heavyweight boxing in France. I believe in him, said the Cameroonian. I worked even harder, even harder than against Anthony Joshua. Support Tony, I’m a fan of his, he may have lost but give him courage, he’s a champion! “The fact remains that “The artist” will have to digest this setback before considering a return to the ring.
