Lawrence Okolie Faces Tony Yoka April 25 in Paris

Former champion enters hostile territory as Olympic gold medalist headlines April 25 at Adidas Arena

Lawrence Okolie faces Tony Yoka on April 25 at the Adidas Arena in Paris. The heavyweight bout headlines Queensberry’s first major show in the French capital. The bout places Okolie, 22-1 with 16 knockouts, directly in front of Yoka’s crowd in what amounts to a road test at heavyweight.

Yoka, 15-3 with 12 knockouts, returns to his home city carrying Olympic gold from Rio 2016 and a rebuilt professional run after three straight defeats stalled his early push. Now on a four-fight winning streak and training out of London, he gets the setting he wanted. Okolie brings the résumé.

Paris will back Yoka from the first bell, and that support can lift a fighter through tough stretches. It also adds pressure to perform. Okolie walks into hostile ground where every exchange will be judged through local eyes.

Okolie is long, awkward, and comfortable tying up inside before rebuilding his stance at distance. At cruiserweight and bridgerweight he relied on a stiff jab, clinch control, and straight right hands. At heavyweight, the weight shift changes punch resistance and tempo. Yoka works best when he sets his feet behind the jab and throws in rhythm.

From the WBC side, Okolie carries the Silver belt at heavyweight. That designation keeps his name high in the rankings, though it does not lock in a mandatory challenge. Beating Yoka reinforces his position near the top. A defeat pushes him back into the pack. Yoka comes in without a belt attached, but he fights on a major stage in his own city, which can shift his standing if he delivers.

The undercard has real ranking implications. Bakary Samake, 19-0 with 11 knockouts, meets Ermal Hadribeaj, 22-0-1 with 8 knockouts, in a WBC super welterweight final eliminator.

For Okolie, this trip is about proving he can impose his structure outside Britain. For Yoka, it is about validating his rebuild under the lights in his own city.