Filip Hrgovic vs David Adeleye is a major heavyweight matchup with a ton on the line for both men.
It’s a crossroads affair in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as these two giants lock horns on the undercard of that massive Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte blockbuster.
The great Oleksandr Usyk rules the division right now as undisputed champion, but at the age of 38 he will not be around for ever. When the belts do become fragmented these two men will hope to be in a position to profit.
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A win for either man is a must, a loss would be devastating – here is all you need to know about the rumble in the desert.
Start time and ring walks
The ring walks for Hrgovic vs Adeleye are not expected to start before 8pm UK time (3pm Eastern Time in the US, or noon Pacific). Exact timings and schedules will be released later this week.
TV and live stream details
The bout will be streamed/aired live globally by DAZN PPV. The pricing in the UK is £19.99 while in the U.S. you will need to pay $49.99 for the privilege of watching this one.
Official Weights
The weighin for this one will take place in Riyadh on Friday August 15 and we’ll provide details here as soon as the fighters step off the scales with their weights confirmed.
Hrgovic was around 250lbs (17st 14lbs) for his last outing – a decision defeat of Joe Joyce in Manchester in April – but he did come into that one with a suboptimal preparation as a late replacement for the injured Dillian Whyte.
Adeleye meanwhile was 254lbs (18st 2lbs) for his last fight – a controversial sixth-round stoppage of Jeamie TKV Tshikeva on the same Manchester bill in April.
Latest odds
Hrgovic is expected to get the job done in this one – currently trading as a 1/5 favourite. Adeleye meanwhile is the 4/1 underdog with the Draw at 16/1 shot.
Filip Hrgovic record
Croatian star Hrgovic – known as ‘El Animal’ is a big-hitting 33-year-old giant (6ft 6ins or 1.98m) from Zagreb who is looking to punch his way back into heavyweight title contention. He has a professional record of 18-1 – 18 wins and just one defeat with 14 of his wins coming by knockout.
Hrgovic began his pro career before reeling off 17 wins and he did so in impression – so much so that he might have been the most avoided man in the division.
‘El Animal’ came off the tracks in June 2024 though when he faced Daniel Dubois for the IBF interim heavyweight title in Riyadh. He was blasted to an eighth-round stoppage defeat – the first of his pro career. Had he won that night, he would have inherited the IBF belt vacated by Usyk soon after.
Hrgovic returned to action in early April 2025 – taking that Joyce matchup on short notice. He did not look at his absolute best, but was more than good enough to punch his way to decision in a brutal scrap with ‘The Juggernaut’.
David Adeleye record
David Adeleye, the 28-year-old Londoner, has a pro record of 14-1 with 13 of those victories coming inside distance.
Adeleye won his first 12 fights as pro, before coming unstuck for the first time against the big-hitting fairytale that is Fabio Wardley. The Ipswich man stopped Adeleye in seven rounds of their Riyadh showdown in October 2023.
Since then David has returned to winning ways with stoppage victories over Solomon Dacres and TKV but this represents a major step up in class against Hrgovic. He starts underdog for a reason, but he has the attributes to give ‘El Animal’ a stern test.
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