The match was part of the Queensbury vs Matchroom 5v5 card, with promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren each selecting five fighters to do battle and try to secure bragging rights in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Points will be awarded to the winner of each fight, with two points if the victory is lost.
A world title shot is also within touching distance for these two fighters. IBF mandatory challenger Hrgovic has been made to wait for his chance but a win against Dubois appears to be the last hurdle, with Oleksandr Usyk set to be stripped of his belt as he faces Tyson Fury for the second time in December.
That will leave the IBF title vacant and the winner of this match is the first in line to challenge for it, possibly against Anthony Joshua later this year.
Hrgovic has fought three times since the end of 2021, with his last fight a round-robin win over Mark de Mori. That took the 31-year-old’s record to 17-0 with 14 wins by distance, but may be lucky to remain undefeated after taking a controversial decision against Zhilei Zhang in 2022.
Dubois (20-2) stopped Jarrell Miller in the last ten seconds of their fight last December, as the 26-year-old returned to the ring for the first time since being defeated by Usyk while challenging for the Ukrainian’s world title.
The Englishman received a lot of praise for his performance in the match, but some believe the body shot that dropped Usyk was considered a low blow, and Dubois has built a career well since losing to Joe Joyce in four years of disappointing fashion. formerly.
High stakes: The winner of Daniel Dubois vs. Filip Hrgovic will likely fight for the IBF heavyweight title
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Dubois vs Hrgovic date, start time, venue and ring run
Dubois vs Hrgovic features in the Queensbury vs Matchroom 5v5 event, which takes place on Saturday June 1, 2024 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The action will take place from 19:00 BST on the night, 14:00 ET and 21:00 local time.
How to watch Dubois vs Hrgovic
TV channels: In the UK, Saturday night’s show is broadcast live on DAZN pay-per-view and TNT Sports Box Office for £21.99.
Live broadcast: Fans who have purchased the show through the relevant broadcaster can watch it live online via the DAZN website and app or the Discovery+ website and app.
Live blog: You can follow Hrgovic vs Dubois and other 5v5 cards with it Standard sport live blog war night.
Dubois vs Hrgovic full fight card/undercard
It’s an interesting card on Saturday night, with a 5v5 event taking place alongside Dmitry Bivol’s fight with Malik Zinad. Bivol had been set for an undisputed fight with Artur Beterbiev, but a knee injury meant Zinad was brought in to challenge for the WBA title at 175lbs.
Matchroom captain Deontay Wilder takes on Zhilei Zhang in the second heavyweight bout of the night, while Team Queensbury leader Hamzah Sheeraz takes on Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams.
WBA featherweight belt Raymond Ford is on the line in a big-intrigue clash with Nick Ball, and an all-English showdown pitting Willy Hutchinson and Craig Richards together at lightweight.
Zhilei Zhang vs. Deontay Wilder
Daniel Dubois vs Filip Hrgovic
Hamzah Sheeraz vs Austin Williams
Nick Ball vs. Raymond Ford
Willy Hutchinson vs Craig Richards
Dmitry Bivol vs Malik Zinad
Prediction Dubois vs Hrgovic
The last win over Miller was a big one for Dubois, but it was hard to read into the victory against a 23lbs opponent, who didn’t get too tired in the next round.
This will be a very different test, although it may be the toughest of Hrgovic’s career. The 31-year-old is undefeated but his resume isn’t stacked, with wins over Zhang, Eric Molina and Demsey McKean most prominently on his professional record.
Hrgovic has shown plenty of heart and an impressive chin, getting off the canvas and taking plenty of punishment against Zhang before winning on the card, and certainly won’t fade like Miller did against Dubois.
The Croatian looked almost disinterested at the time against Zhang, but there was no repeat here, with a shot at the IBF world title now within touching distance for him.
Filip Hrgovic has been made to wait for his shot at the world title
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That, of course, is also true for Dubois, who will take confidence from showing Usyk, and the match on the biggest stage should stand him in good stead in the coming year.
This is an interesting match, both sides have questions to answer. The pair have previously sparred together – Hrgovic insists he dominated the round but Dubois has warned he is now a “different animal”.
We are going for Hrgovic to overcome some early pressure, weathering the storm and taking Dubois’ best shots, before out-boxing the Englishman in the later rounds and finding a stoppage.
Hrgovic won by stoppage, round 10.
Dubois vs Hrgovic weigh-in results
The weigh-ins for the 5v5 card take place in Saudi Arabia on Friday. Check back then for results.
Dubois wins on points or by decision: 13/2
Dubois to win by knockout or technical knockout: 3/1
Hrgovic wins on points or by decision: 7/2
Hrgovic wins by knockout or TKO: 5/6
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
