British heavyweight veteran Derek Chisora has weighed in on how a potential rematch between Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic would play out, insisting that "Dynamite" would emerge victorious in an even more emphatic fashion than their first encounter.
Back in 2024, the two heavyweights engaged in a thrilling, closely-fought battle that captured the attention of the boxing world. Throughout the early stages of that bout, both fighters enjoyed sustained spells of success, trading heavy blows and testing each other’s chin and resolve as the rounds ticked away. The contest was fiercely competitive and evenly poised as it progressed into the eighth round, with neither man willing to take a backward step in the high-stakes heavyweight collision.
At that crucial juncture, however, the fight was brought to a premature halt when it was deemed unsafe for Hrgovic to continue. Two gaping, severe cuts had appeared over each of the Croatian fighter’s eyes and were becoming increasingly problematic, severely impairing his vision and forcing the ringside medical team and referee to intervene.
The stoppage victory proved to be a major turning point in Dubois’ career trajectory. Following the win over Hrgovic, Dubois was upgraded from holding the interim IBF championship to becoming the full IBF world champion. He would subsequently make a successful defence of that status with a stunning, explosive fifth-round knockout victory over British superstar Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium, cementing his status among the elite contenders in the division.
Dubois then found himself on the receiving end of a similar result when he faced unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, but the resilient Briton bounced back in remarkable fashion. He went on to secure his status as a two-time world champion by dethroning Fabio Wardley last May in a modern heavyweight classic. That championship encounter saw Dubois survive two early knockdowns before storming back to score a devastating 11th-round stoppage. He followed that up last Saturday with another emphatic performance, retaining his WBO title with a blistering second-round finish.
Filip Hrgovic, meanwhile, has also been busy rebuilding his path toward another world title opportunity. The undefeated contender is coming off a dramatic and hard-fought ninth-round stoppage victory over Moses Itauma in August. With that victory behind him, Hrgovic’s next outing is widely expected to be a mandatory IBF title defence against Frank Sanchez early next year, keeping him firmly in the mix at the sharp end of the division.
Despite Hrgovic’s continued presence among the elite and his dangerous skill set, heavyweight stalwart Derek Chisora believes that a second meeting between the two would yield a much more decisive outcome in favor of the current champion. Speaking in an interview with DAZN, Chisora shared his unvarnished assessment of where the fighters currently stand in the division’s fierce hierarchy.
"Daniel, right now, is on smoke. I wouldn’t wanna fight Daniel right now. He would [beat Hrgovic]," Chisora stated bluntly, highlighting the terrifying run of form that the champion has been on.
Chisora did not stop there, adding that he believes Dubois is currently operating at a level that makes him capable of dominating the entire heavyweight division. According to the veteran, this dominant momentum positions Dubois as the clear favorite should he cross paths with WBC champion Agit Kabayel or rising threat Moses Itauma in future bouts, solidifying his reign at the summit of professional boxing.
