BY BOXINGSCENE STAFF August 30, 2023 Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
Eddie Hearn, promoter for heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic, expects the IBF to order a mandatory fight with world champion Oleksandr Usyk in the coming days.
Last Saturday night in Poland, Usyk stopped Daniel Dubois in the ninth round to retain the IBF, WBA, WBO, IBO world titles.
Dubois was the mandatory challenger under the WBA, and Hrgovic - the IBF's mandatory - is next in line to get his shot. Usyk and his handlers are aiming to secure an undisputed showdown with WBC world champion Tyson Fury in early 2024.
In order to fight Fury, Usyk would have to make an application to the IBF for an exception. But he might have a problem with getting that exception approved, because Fury has another fight scheduled - on October 28 in Saudi Arabia - against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.
Although Fury-Ngannou is a non-title encounter, there is the possibility of Fury suffering an injury.
BoxingScene.com had recently reported that the IBF is expected to order Usyk-Hrgovic in the immediate future - and Hearn anticipates the same.
"That fight will be ordered this week, in my opinion, Usyk against Hrgovic. What happens now is that Usyk will have the opportunity to request an exception to fight someone else. The only person that the exception would be granted is probably Tyson Fury. But because Tyson Fury already has a fight scheduled you can't ask for an exception, so I think that we should just get it done, get the fight made for December. We like Hrgovic's chances in that fight, he's definitely improved with his last couple of performances. We're ready to make that fight," Hearn told Boxing Social.
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