Filip Hrgovic owns the IBF heavyweight title, but he does not yet control his future. Before chasing Daniel Dubois, Agit Kabayel, or another champion, the Croatian must deal with Frank Sanchez, the contender who stepped aside to allow Hrgovic’s title fight against Moses Itauma.
Sanchez earned more than a promise for his cooperation. The Cuban stopped Richard Torrez Jr. in two rounds in May and now presents Hrgovic with an awkward first defense. He lacks Itauma’s explosive speed, but brings better patience, movement, and experience controlling distance. Hrgovic cannot count on Sanchez exhausting himself after building a large lead, as Itauma did in August.
The champion would naturally prefer a larger fight. Revenge against Dubois carries commercial value after Hrgovic’s stoppage loss to him in 2024, while a unification would pay considerably more than defending against Sanchez. The IBF mandate leaves little room for shopping around unless Sanchez accepts another step-aside agreement.
Dubois first has his own business to settle. He defends the WBO title against Fabio Wardley in their October 17 rematch at London’s O2 Arena. Dubois stopped Wardley in the 11th round of their May meeting, but the punishment he absorbed makes the return dangerous. Hrgovic cannot build his plans around Dubois retaining.
Oleksandr Usyk is operating outside that championship traffic. The former unified champion is targeting Deontay Wilder for a final fight in the United States in 2027. It offers Usyk one more famous name, but little clarity about the division’s best heavyweight.
Usyk struggled more than anticipated against boxing novice Rico Verhoeven in May. He trailed on one scorecard and was level on the other two before producing an 11th-round stoppage. Wilder also carries the wear of a long career and no longer releases his right hand with the conviction that once made him boxing’s most feared puncher. Their proposed fight sells history and name recognition rather than determining the division’s leader.
The active championship race now belongs to Hrgovic, Dubois, WBA champion Murat Gassiev, and WBC interim champion Agit Kabayel. Gassiev stopped Peter Kadiru in six rounds in July, while Kabayel demolished Damian Knyba in three rounds in January. A Gassiev-Kabayel unification would immediately reduce the number of competing titleholders.
Hrgovic wants access to those lucrative fights, but Sanchez remains positioned directly in front of him. Beating Itauma won Hrgovic the belt. Defeating his mandatory would prove that he can keep it.
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Last Updated on 2026/09/01 at 10:12 PM
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