Tony Yoka

Tony Yoka is a French professional boxer competing in the heavyweight division. Standing an imposing 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) with a reach of 208 cm (82 in), Yoka fights out of Paris, France, using an orthodox stance. A former Olympic gold medalist, he transitioned to the professional ranks in 2017.

Yoka first gained international recognition during his outstanding amateur career, where he captured gold at the 2016 Olympic Games by defeating Joe Joyce. Prior to that, he had already secured gold at the 2015 World Championships and won the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, where he defeated future heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker. With an amateur record of 60 wins and 12 losses, Yoka entered the professional scene as one of the most decorated heavyweights of his generation.

In his early professional career, Yoka quickly built momentum, remaining unbeaten while collecting victories over experienced opponents such as Johann Duhaupas and Christian Hammer. He also claimed the European Union heavyweight title in 2021 after stopping Joel Tambwe Djeko. During this period, he was widely viewed as a rising contender with the physical tools and pedigree to challenge at the highest level.

However, Yoka’s progression faced a setback between 2022 and 2023, when he suffered three consecutive losses against Martin Bakole, Carlos Takam, and Ryad Merhy. These defeats exposed vulnerabilities against durable, high-level opposition and temporarily stalled his climb toward world title contention.

Since then, Yoka has entered a rebuilding phase, returning to winning form in 2024 and 2025 with several victories, including a first-round knockout of Patrick Korte.