Filip Hrgovic vs Daniel Dubois provides boxing fans with yet another terrific heavyweight fight in what is becoming a glorious year for the division.
Hrgovic (17-0) vs Dubois (20-2) is a titanic showdown, and it could yet have world title ramifications with two contenders looking to become king.
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Here is all the information you need about a mouthwatering clash between two big men who can really bang.
When is Hrgovic vs Dubois?
The bout will take place on Saturday June 1, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is part of that epic 5 on 5 showing featuring the stables of promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren. Dubois fights for the Warren camp (Queensberry Promotions) with Hrgovic lacing them up for Hearn’s Matchroom.
Ring walks are expected to between 2130 and 2230 UK time (that is 1630-1730 Eastern Standard Time or 1330-1430 PST on the West Coast).
How to watch the fight live
The bout will be aired live on DAZN PPV.
What is at stake?
Initially it had appeared this one could be for the IBF heavyweight title with Oleksandr Usyk likely vacating it after his win over Tyson Fury recently.
That has not come to pass however – so for now Usyk remains the undisputed champion while Hrgovic vs Dubois is for the interim IBF title.
Latest odds
It’s pretty tight but Hrgovic is a slight favourite, trading at 4/9 as we go into the last weeks before fight night. Dubois is the 9/4 underdog with the Draw at 20/1 shot.
Hrgovic vs Dubois weights
The official weigh-in took place on Friday May 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Hrgovic tipped the scales at 247.4lbs (a shade over 17st 9lbs) and just a pound heavier than he had been in his last outing – an easy one-round demolition of the overmatched Mark De Mori on that ‘Day of Reckoning’ bill in Saudi last December.
Dubois meanwhile was 245.8lbs (17st 7lbs) – some six pounds heavier than for his 10th-round stoppage victory over Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller on the same Riyadh card.
Filip Hrgovic record
The 31-year-old Hrgovic was born in Zagreb Croatia on June 4, 1992. He has a perfect professional record of 17-0 with 14 of those wins coming inside distance. He stands 6ft 6ins tall (1.98m) and has a reach of 81.9ins.
Hrgovic – known as ‘El Animal’ – is one of the most avoided heavyweights around, and his resume backs that up. His meeting with Chinese giant Zhilei Zhang remains the best of his career to date, as he eked out a disputed decision victory on the Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2 undercard in 2022.
Daniel Dubois record
The 26-year-old Daniel Dubois was born on September 6, 1997 in Greenwich, London. He boasts a pro record of 20-2 with 19 of his victories coming by way of KO. He is not known as ‘Dynamite’ for nothing.
Dubois looked devastating as he reeled off 15 straight wins to begin his career in the paid ranks. But then, in November 2020, he came up against the immovable object that was fellow unbeaten Brit Joe Joyce. He suffered a serious eye injury in falling to a knockout defeat in Round 10.
Many experts questioned Dubois and his potential to be an elite heavy after that, but he regrouped in terrific style to reel off four wins – in the process taking the WBA ‘regular’ heavyweight title from Trevor Bryan in Miami in 2022.
This put Dubois in the reckoning for a world title shot, and that came against the mighty Oleksandr Usyk in Poland in August 2023. He had the champion on the deck with a body shot early in the fight, but crucially it was ruled a low blow and Usyk was given time to recover. Eventually Oleksandr would prevail by ninth-round stoppage.
Again there were question marks about Dubois, notably about his heart, but he proved the doubters wrong again with a terrific performance to stop Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller late in the final session of their 10-rounder in Riyadh last December. He took some huge Miller shots and gutted it out in the trenches en route to what might be a career-best victory.
Who else is fighting on the card?
Who isn’t, would be the easy answer. It’s an absolutely stellar show, topped of course by that long-awaited light-heavyweight unification match featuring Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol. Two brilliant unbeaten fighters at the peak of their powers.
The supporting cast is headed by another heavyweight blockbuster featuring Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang. Two men who are both coming off damaging losses to New Zealand’s Joseph Parker.
If that wasn’t enough we have three other terrific fights on the 5 on 5 card between Hearn and Warren. Headed by a featherweight cracker pitting Raymond Ford (15-0-1) vs Nick Ball (19-0-1).
Warren’s exciting middleweight prospect Hamzah Sheeraz (19-0) will lock horns with Ammo Williams (16-0), while the show is completed by a light-heavyweight cracker featuring Craig Richards (18-3-1) and Willy Hutchinson (17-0).
