Heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic feels that he’s in a must-win situation going up against British fighter Daniel Dubois this Saturday because he doesn’t have the same advantage that he does if he loses.
The 31-year-old Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs) is over then the 26-year-old Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs), and he notes that he’s not a UK fighter, so he won’t be able to build back up rapidly after taking two easy fights the way he would if he were from Brittain.
It would be bad for Hrgovic to lose this fight because the top guys, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Oleksandr Usyk, are all in their mid-30s and nearing the end of their careers.
Those are the money fights for Hrgovic, but he won’t get them if Dubois beats him. It might take Hrgovic too long to rebuild from a knockout loss to Dubois, and by the time he does, some or all of the big three will have retired.
Hrgovic vs. Dubois will be shown live on DAZN PPV this Saturday, June 1st on the 5 vs 5 event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Hrgovic is the favorite, but it’s a toss-up fight in the eyes of fans. Dubois has the speed, youth, and power to win this contest if he doesn’t get clipped.
“It’s Much Easier When You Come From Great Britain”
“I have the will to win, and for me, it’s an important fight. It’s to be or not to be,” said Filip Hrgovic to Queensberry about his fight against Daniel Dubois on Saturday. “For him, he’s already lost two fights, but they built him back up again. It’s much easier when you come from Great Britain.”
Dubois’ losses have come against Usyk and Joe Joyce. He arguably knocked out Usyk in the fifth round with a body shot, but the referee ruled it a low blow. The instant replay showed it was on the beltline, meaning that Dubois should have won.
“You lose, and then you have two easy fights, and then you’re there again. So, for me, it’s not like that. It’ll be harder for me to come back, and I definitely have a will to win, and I definitely can stop him, and I’m the best puncher that he’s ever faced,” said Hrgovic about Dubois, who lost to Joe Joyce, a fighter with excellent power but not much speed.
Joe Joyce is a better puncher than Hrgovic in terms of clean punching. Hrgovic throws a mean rabbit punch, which is clearly the best in his arsenal. If you take the rabbit punches away, Hrgovic is not on the same level as Joyce.
“In his last fight [against Jarrell Miller], he endured some difficulties in the fight and fought good in the late rounds. But Jarrell Miller is not a puncher like I am. He’s coming forward, he’s tough, but he’s not a big puncher,” said Hrgovic.
Miller punches as hard as Hrgovic and has a better work rate, but he’s also 35-years-old and hadn’t been that active in his career when he was knocked out by Dubois last December.
“I think I’m a much better puncher, and I think if I connect and if I put good pressure, I will stop him for sure,” said Hrgovic.
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