Filip Hrgovic returns to action this weekend, looking to bounce back from his first professional loss to Daniel Dubois.
The Croatian heavyweight landed around 60 power shots against Dubois in the first five rounds, putting to the test any claims that the Brit had a lack of heart in the ring.
Dubois, who found more success as the fight went on, weathered the storm and turned the tide, landing huge right hands on Hrgovic to open cuts and force the referee to stop the action after eight bloody rounds.
Speaking to Queensberry ahead of his comeback against Joe Joyce in Manchester, Hrgovic talked up his punch resistance, saying he did not feel Dubois’ well-regarded power.
“I was never knocked out or knocked down in my life. Ever. As an amateur, once. I had over 150 fights. Dubois didn’t knock me down once. He just cut me and it was stopped on the cuts.
“He didn’t rock me, he didn’t shake me. I never felt his power. I never was dizzy in that fight. I was just exhausted because of sickness. After six rounds I couldn’t stand on my legs cause, like I said, I was sick before the fight. I had two really big and deep cuts and that also took my focus away. Even in that shape, when I was exhausted and cut, he couldn’t knock me down.”
Reminded that he suffered a knockdown against Zhilei Zhang, Hrgovic said it was foul play.
“He pulled me. Yeah I got a count, but the referee shouldn’t [have] because I know what I felt. I didn’t feel rocked, I just felt that he pulled me behind my head, and because of his southpaw stance I fell down. He didn’t knock me down. Not fair.”
Hrgovic then said both Zhang and Dubois are ‘big punchers.’
“He’s obviously a big puncher, and Dubois is obviously a big puncher, but [they couldn’t knock me down.]”
With the victory over Hrgovic, Dubois became the Interim IBF title holder and was then elevated to full champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt. He is now targeting an undisputed showdown with the Ukrainian, who already beat him back in 2023.
