Hrgovic Will Not Step Aside For Fury vs Usyk Clash
Oleksandr Usyk recently defended his title by halting Daniel Dubois in the ninth round, solidifying his ambitions of becoming an undisputed champion across two divisions. However, the fight was not without controversy. Usyk faced a knockdown in the fifth round from what the referee judged to be a low blow, a point of contention for Dubois' team which they believe justifies another bout. Following this win, Usyk is keen to return to discussions with Tyson Fury, another top contender in the heavyweight category. However, previous attempts to negotiate a bout between the two had failed. Currently, the primary barrier to such a match-up is Filip Hrgovic, an undefeated fighter from Croatia, who stands as the mandatory challenger by the IBF. Kalle Sauerland, Hrgovic's promoter, explained to Boxing Social that although they previously allowed discussions for an Usyk-Fury match to proceed, they now insist on Hrgovic getting his due opportunity. Notably, Hrgovic had been in line for a decisive bout since early 2021, and his team believes they've waited patiently for long enough. In response to Usyk's recent victory over Dubois, Sauerland has approached the IBF, expressing his eagerness to schedule the fight soon, ideally by December. He highlighted that stepping aside doesn't make sense especially since Fury already has a fight planned within the next two months. Team Usyk has not yet commented on these developments.
“Two, three weeks ago now we got letters – us and Usyk – saying that if we won our McKean and they wont he Dubois fight that the negotiations would be ordered immediately from the IBF. Let’s not forget that Hrgovic was confirmed for the final eliminator in February 2021. We’re talking a couple years now, and we didn’t really throw down the book too much when everybody was expecting the Fury-Usyk to get made. We were relatively patient, but now It’s got to Hrgovic’s turn.” “This morning we have written to the IBF to inform them that we are fit, willing and able to enter that bout. There’s no interest on our side to step aside for anything. I don’t know what we’d be stepping aside for, because Tyson’s contracted to fight in seven weeks. This fight should take place in December.”
