Former boxing icon Barry McGuigan has advised Anthony Joshua to avoid fighting Martin Bakole.

Joshua and Bakole have been linked with one another for a number of years, with Bakole claiming he had ‘AJ’ hurt during an infamous sparring session.

However, Joshua is at a crossroads in his heavyweight career after being brutally knocked out by Daniel Dubois in September and has yet to pencil in concrete details over a return fight.

In a chat with talkBOXING, McGuigan urged the former two-time champion not to challenge Bakole, the big-punching Congo man who deems himself as ‘the most avoided heavyweight in the division.

“If I was managing Anthony Joshua, I wouldn’t go near Martin Bakole,” McGuigan said on talkBOXING.

“In my opinion, Joshua has only four fights left. He needs to be fighting for a title or against Tyson Fury.”