If Joseph Parker finally becomes a two-time heavyweight champion, no one will be able to accuse him of doing things the easy way.

The former WBO champ's sapping stoppage loss to Joe Joyce in September 2022 appeared to spell the end of his time as an elite-level operator but he is now on a five-fight winning streak.

A pair of Riyadh Season victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang - arguably the two biggest punchers in the heavyweight division - earned Parker a deserved shot at IBF champion Daniel Dubois.

However, Dubois was taken ill during fight week and Martin Bakole has stepped in as a high-calibre late replacement.

Scottish-based Congolese fighter demolished American heavyweight hope Jared Anderson last time out and the winner of this bout will be next in line for world honours.

Parker's interim WBO belt is on the line, meaning the winner will be the organisation's mandatory for a shot at unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. It remains to be seen whether the typically stringent IBF will force Dubois to take on the winner instead of pursuing a lucrative rematch with Anthony Joshua.

WATCH: Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2, live on DAZN

Parker vs. Bakole is the co-main event on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 card and is available worldwide on DAZN. The table below lists the pay-per-view prices in some of the major regions.