Filip Hrgovic overcame what could be his final hurdle before earning his first title shot.
The No. 1-ranked Croatian heavyweight knocked out overmatched Mark De Mori at 1:46 of the first round of a scheduled 10-round bout on the undercard between Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua in separate fights Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
THE ANIMAL
Filip Hrgovic 🇭🇷 destroys his opponent in the first round 🥊💥#DayOfReckoning
pic.twitter.com/uXKijaRSoA
– Combat Sports Today 📰 (@CSTodayNews) December 23, 2023
Hrgovic (17-0, 14 KOs) knocked down De Mori (41-3-2, 36 KOs) and hurt him with a right hand about a minute into the fight. The Australian was able to get up, but a series of hard and unanswered blows convinced the referee to end the elimination.
Now Hrgovic must wait. He is ranked No. 1 by the IBF, meaning he is first in line to fight for Oleksandr Usyk’s title.
However, you’ll have to wait to see how things develop. Usyk is scheduled to face Tyson Fury for the undisputed championship on February 17. And the fighters reportedly agreed to a two-way rematch clause.
Share This Event
