French boxer Tony Yoka said on Friday he was “impatient” before facing Belgian Ryad Merhy for a fight which should allow him to bounce back on Saturday evening at Roland-Garros.
“I can’t wait, I’ve felt like I’m ready for a while, I feel like I’ve got it covered,” he said after the traditional weigh-in on the eve of the fight.
The 31-year-old Frenchman was weighed at 110,500 kg, while his Belgian opponent, recently arrived at heavyweight, weighs 104,100 kg.
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“I am satisfied with all the preparation, the choices I made, the changes we made and now it’s the moment, it’s my moment,” added the Rio Olympic champion, who He settled in London after several years of training marked by long camps in the United States.
Tony Yoka remains on two defeats in a row against the Congolese Martin Bakolé in May 2022 and the Franco-Cameroonian Carlos Takam, in March 2023.
Faced with an a priori more affordable opponent, he hopes to relaunch his “conquest” of the highest level in the world.
“I think he will try to play on his qualities and I with mine, no matter how early we fight, whatever happens, the truth will be tomorrow evening,” he said.
Yoka and his opponent should appear in the ring installed on the central court of Roland-Garros around 10:30 p.m. Saturday evening.
“Roland Garros is not at all a venue like any other, it’s very special, just for the prestige it represents, and it was my last victory, so I wanted to return to conquered terrain “, he explained.
He beat the Croatian Petar Milas by knockout in September 2021.