Gassiev vs Yoka

Who wins: Gassiev v Yoka?

By Ben | Split Decision
Updated: May 28, 2026, 19:00pm BST
Published: May 28, 2026, 19:00pm BST

Murat Gassiev defends his WBA “Regular” heavyweight title against Tony Yoka on Saturday, 11 July 2026 at the VTB Arena in Moscow, with main-event ringwalks projected for around 8pm BST, pending the official running order. Gassiev, 33-2 with 26 KOs, makes the first defence of the belt he tore away from Kubrat Pulev. Yoka arrives at 15-3 with 12 KOs, still chasing the world title that has so far escaped him.

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For Yoka, the 2016 Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist who beat Joe Joyce in the Rio final, this is a strange route back to the top table. Initially, he was due to box Lawrence Okolie in Paris on 25 April, until Okolie returned an adverse VADA finding and the whole show fell apart. So instead of a home fight in front of French fans, the Parisian now walks into hostile territory against one of the division’s heaviest hitters.

Gassiev, meanwhile, would arguably have owned the cruiserweight era of the late 2010s had a man named Oleksandr Usyk not existed. One brutal left hook against Pulev rebuilt his heavyweight stock overnight.

As of May 2026, Gassiev sits as The Ring’s ninth-ranked heavyweight, while the WBA “Regular” belt keeps him close to the sanctioning-body title picture. But the mandatory situation is messy. Moses Itauma had already been positioned for a shot at the secondary belt, and Gassiev vs Yoka only adds another layer of uncertainty.

Yoka, by contrast, has not appeared in the WBA’s top 15 for over four years, which is exactly why the matchup raised eyebrows. You can see where both men land in our latest heavyweight rankings.

When is Gassiev vs Yoka? UK time and date

Gassiev vs Yoka takes place on Saturday, 11 July 2026 at the VTB Arena in Moscow. The bout headlines IBA Pro 19, the latest card from the professional arm of the International Boxing Association run by Umar Kremlev. Because Moscow runs two hours ahead of the UK in summer, the action lands in convenient prime-time hours for British and Irish fans.

Gassiev vs Yoka full fight card

The undercard has not yet been announced. IBA Pro has promised that IBA Pro 19 will carry world title fights, leading contenders and Olympic names alongside the main event, so a deep supporting bill looks likely once the promotion finalises it. Previous IBA Pro shows, including the Pulev card that crowned Gassiev, ran several competitive heavyweight and cruiserweight bouts beneath the headline act.

This section will be updated once IBA Pro confirms the supporting card.

Where to watch Gassiev vs Yoka: TV channel, DAZN and streaming

At the time of writing, IBA Pro has not confirmed the UK broadcaster for IBA Pro 19. Recent IBA Pro cards, including Pulev vs Gassiev in Dubai, were broadcast on DAZN, so DAZN is a plausible home for this event if a similar deal is agreed. However, no UK broadcaster has been confirmed yet.

If the fight does land on DAZN, you can sign up to DAZN through our affiliate link. Same price to you, while supporting the site.

Gassiev vs Yoka tale of the tape and breakdown

Murat Gassiev:

Tony Yoka:

Murat Gassiev recent form

Tony Yoka recent form

Our Fight Night Prediction

Frank Warren, co-promoting through Queensberry, is bullish about the visitor. “This is a great fight and one that we at Queensberry truly believe our man will win,” Warren said in the announcement. “Tony and Don Charles have been working extremely hard in the gym, so we fully expect them to go to Russia and do the business against a tough opponent in Gassiev and bring the title back to France.” Yoka, for his part, framed it as redemption, vowing to win “for all my people in France and Congo that have not only stuck with me, but still believe in me becoming a professional world champion.”

Split Decision backs Gassiev to win by stoppage, rounds 7-10. At home, with the heavier hands and the sharper recent form, he should eventually wear Yoka down and land the punch that has flattened better men.

The honest danger is real though, because Yoka’s chin has held against everyone he has faced, and a disciplined, mobile version of the Olympian who refuses to get into a war could nick a wide decision and embarrass the champion on his own turf.

Recent Odds

UK bookmakers have not posted prices yet, since the fight was only confirmed on 27 May. Based on comparable matchups, expect Gassiev to open as a firm favourite in the region of 1/3 to 2/5, with Yoka likely to be priced somewhere around 2/1 to 5/2 as the underdog. We will update this section once the major UK firms price the fight.

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