Sakio Bika took his nickname from the creature that nearly took his life. Bika, dubbed “The Scorpion,” was stung by one of the arachnids as a 13-year-old growing up in his native Cameroon in Central Africa.
Sakio Bika will make his 175-pound debut April 4 against Adonis Stevenson in Quebec City.
"I was bitten by the scorpion when I was young, but my big sister saved me. If it wasn't for my sister taking me to the hospital, I wouldn't be around to talk to you today," said Bika, born the fourth of nine children.
"I was very young, so I'm not sure of the details. I don't think that my heart stopped or anything, but I was very sick. Really bad. I was about to pass away. My big sister saved me, along with whatever they did for me at the hospital to save my life."
Scorpions are known for living in harsh conditions, are protected by a hardened exterior and can paralyze their prey with just one sting. That description almost fits Bika, who has lived in Australia since competing there in the 2000 Olympics.
"I always survive like the scorpion,” he said. “Any time that you see any of my fights, you can see that."
Bika (32-6-3, 21 KOs) will carry that reputation into the ring with him when he faces 175-pound champion Adonis Stevenson (25-1, 21 KOs) at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City on April 4 in the first Premier Boxing Champions card on CBS.
Bika, who will turn 36 years old on April 18, has never been knocked out during a career marked by comebacks and second chances.
"I've been in there with some big punchers, and I'm always in the toughest fights,” said Bika, who will make his 175-pound debut against Stevenson. “I've always chosen the hard way, never the easy way. I won't give Stevenson an easy fight.”
Bika is 4-1-1 in his last six fights since dropping a 12-round unanimous decision to Andre Ward in November 2010 in a 168-pound title fight.
His last two bouts were against Anthony Dirrell, who took Bika’s 168-pound world title by unanimous decision in August after the fighters battled to a draw in December 2013.
Bika won the championship in June 2013, when he won a 12-round majority decision over Marco Antonio Periban in Brooklyn, New York.
"After all these years fighting at 168 pounds, it was becoming increasingly difficult to make weight. That was a major factor in my defeats. I see no problem making the jump to [175] to face Stevenson. I do not feel I'll be at a disadvantage, because the champion made this transition successfully less than two years ago against Chad Dawson,” Bika said.
“I want to test myself against Stevenson and to see if I can handle this guy. I don't think that he has fought anyone who can punch as hard as I do. If he wants to stand in there and go toe-to-toe, I'm willing to do that. I'm very confident that The Scorpion can bring the title back home. When it comes time to hang up my gloves, I'll be able to say that I've always fought the best.”
