Hrgovic's Dubois Unification Bout Postponed, Sanchez Defense Planned

IBF world heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic is expected to wait a while before facing Daniel Dubois in a unification bout. Hrgovic won the belt in August by knocking out Moses Itauma.

On Saturday, Hrgovic watched from ringside at London's O2 Arena as Dubois defended his WBO title. After the fight, the two boxers came face to face. However, a mandatory IBF defense appears to come before the unification bout.

Frank Sanchez's manager, Mike Borao, said he expects the fight to take place in the first quarter of 2027. Borao said the venue could be Zagreb. Zagreb Arena management has also said it is open to the proposal.

Dubois, for his part, points out that he has beaten Hrgovic before. He says collecting all the belts is his main goal and that he is open to fighting Hrgovic again. With Hrgovic defending at home in Croatia, this fight is seen as the first step before two major unification plans.