Europe 1 with AFP 9:20 p.m., March 6, 2023

French heavyweight Tony Yoka, who faces Carlos Takam on Saturday evening in Paris, wants to show that he is capable of "bounce back", ten months after suffering the first defeat of his professional career.

The Frenchman has not been in a ring since his defeat ten months ago against the Congolese Martin Bakole.

French boxer Tony Yoka, Olympic champion in Rio in 2016, returns to the ring this Saturday March 11, 2023 several months after his defeat against the Congolese Martin Bakole.

After several months of training in the United States, he is about to challenge his compatriot Carlos Takam: "I can't wait to rebox. I want to show that I've worked, that I've had a defeat, of course, but that I can bounce back from that," the 30-year-old boxer told reporters on Monday.

"It's complicated when you come out of a defeat like I suffered last year," he admitted.

"Now I've really taken the time to cut boxing for a few months and I've taken the time to really come back and do a big preparation to come back."

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Back in the ring

For his return to the rings, the 2016 Olympic champion, who claims to have "completely digested" this setback, will be opposed to his compatriot Carlos Takam on Saturday at the Zenith in Paris, a fight during which he will not have "the right to error".

"I stepped back to jump better. I have to box, I have to have a big fight and a big victory," said Yoka (11 wins, one defeat), who comes out of four months of intensive preparation in the United States. United.

"Now I don't even think about it. I don't think about being able to lose this fight, it's not possible. I did such a long and good preparation. I find my feelings again and I'm leaving for the victoire."

Very experienced boxer (39 wins, 1 draw, 7 losses), Carlos Takam, 42, is a former training partner of Yoka.

The native of Douala remains on two defeats but still represents a danger for boxers in his category.

He had notably resisted well in 2017 against the Englishman Anthony Joshua, at the time WBA and IBF heavyweight champion, and had only been defeated in the 10th round when he had only had ten days to prepare. .

"I didn't want to come back with a little fight, a comeback fight. I wanted to come back with a fight that was strong and I think it is," Yoka said.