Very disappointing performance from Yoka. It was obvious since his previous fight that he have a punching problem, he is not a heavy puncher and Bakole looked like he didn't felt anything when he was hit. So from there, and having taken time to prepare this fight against Takam, it would have been logical to work on options to make things better for Yoka. But it was an even worse fight that the one against Bakole. Not only did it seems Takam was never hurt by Yoka when he was hit (he did finished wih an injury, but it was to the shoulder after having missed a punch on Yoka near the end of the fight), but Yoka was bad in all the other things that could have make him win. He didn't move well, at least not well enough to escape from Takam's wide punches. He was much taller (2m01 against 1m87) with a larger reach, but never used his jab to keep his opponent at a comfortable distance.

I was in attendance in Paris Zenith and it was very sad to watch this fight because in the public, we were wondering if Yoka really wanted to be here. He had no plan B, maybe even no plan A. He was there because he was told to come, and paid for it, but he had no energy, no will to win. For me he looked like those people that goes to work at the office everyday with no real pleasure, just because it is a way to earn money but raise no enthousiasm, just because they sign a contract and need the money for life. But boxing is one of the activities were you are supposedly happy to come on the ring, it is a passion before it is a job. If you lose that, you only have two options, become a journeyman that comes on the ring just for money, make 6 rounds against a rising boxer and come back next week against another opponent. That doesn't seems an appropriate conclusion for such a boxer as Yoka. The other option is to change everything. Coach, promoter etc... But isn't it too late for him, having passed his 30th birthday still under contract with the french TV Canal + for two fights (next is scheduled for june 24th, but no opponent known for now). My guess is that after the two fights on Canal +, he will retire from professioal boxing.

Congratulations to Carlos Takam. He is a great fighter, he has fought some of the contemporary greatest heavyweights (Joshua, Joyce, Chisora...). Even at 42, he is still more determined to win than 30 year old Yoka, and showed he is the number one in France. He should be the one that receive the spotlights, even if it is only for a few fights it is more pleasant to watch him fight than Yoka, he doesn't go back, he always try, he is tough. He was not far from beating Makhmudov recently (one round made the difference for me, 10-9 Takam becoming 10-8 when Takam was too generous and was countered and down), and this time he proved he was really over Yoka; The scorecards are just ridiculous, it looked as if it was a very disputed and uncertain fight while I don't have the impression Yoka won any round except the first, very slow one. How a judge can see him win is blatant corruption from the diffuser Canal + who wants to keep the impression Yoka is a valid fighter. The other close scorecards are a mystery too (nothing new, one judge also gave a draw last time when Yoka was demolishe by Bakole, but always sad to see that).