Filip Hrgovic is preparing to make the first defense of his IBF heavyweight world title in the opening quarter of 2027, with plans well underway to bring a massive championship night to his home city of Zagreb, Croatia. The 34-year-old fighter captured the imagination of the global boxing world last August when he etched his name into the history books by becoming Croatia’s first-ever world heavyweight champion, pulling off a significant and dramatic upset against the highly-touted British prospect Moses Itauma.
That historic victory on away soil required every ounce of resilience, grit, and tactical patience from the Croatian star. For the opening eight rounds of the bout, victory appeared to be slipping steadily through Hrgovic’s fingers. Itauma, operating as the faster, sharper, and far more athletically gifted operator inside the ring, controlled the tempo of the fight with precision. The young challenger even managed to score a devastating second-round knockdown that sent shockwaves through the arena and left Hrgovic’s championship aspirations hanging by a thread. Itauma continued to dictate the action, using his superior hand speed and movement to outbox the veteran through the middle stages of the contest.
However, heavyweight boxing is a sport where a single moment can completely rewrite the narrative of an evening. In a stunning and dramatic turn of events, Hrgovic managed to weather the storm and capitalized decisively on the 21-year-old’s mounting exhaustion in the championship rounds. Sensing his opponent’s fading energy reserves, Hrgovic stepped up his pressure and overwhelmed Itauma, ultimately forcing a sensational ninth-round stoppage that silenced the partisan crowd and stunned the boxing establishment.
With the IBF belt now firmly resting over his shoulder, Hrgovic is looking ahead to his next assignment, and all signs point toward a glorious homecoming in the Croatian capital early next year. Standing in the opposite corner as his mandatory challenger will likely be the formidable and dangerous puncher Frank Sanchez.
The Cuban contender has established himself as one of the most avoided and skilled operators in the heavyweight division. Sanchez earned his mandatory position through a series of high-level performances, most recently coming off an emphatic and dominant second-round finish over Richard Torrez Jr in May. The heavy-handed contender has proven his elite credentials time and again, with the only blemish on his professional record arriving via a hard-fought seventh-round knockout defeat against Germany’s Agit Kabayel back in 2024. Despite that setback, Sanchez remains a major threat to any champion, combining slick technical boxing skills with concussive punching power that can alter the dynamic of a fight in an instant.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, Hrgovic’s manager, Mike Borao, provided insight into the current trajectory of the champion’s career, confirming that negotiations are moving in a positive direction and that Sanchez is expected to be the next man to challenge the Croatian titleholder.
"I expect Frank Sanchez versus Filip Hrgovic to take place in the first quarter of 2027, perhaps in Zagreb, but too early to know for sure," Borao stated, highlighting the collaborative efforts behind the scenes to secure the blockbuster venue and date. Borao added that he has been speaking extensively with George Warren of Queensberry Promotions to finalize the details of the upcoming mandatory defense.
Hrgovic himself addressed the situation in a recent conversation with DAZN, noting that while official agreements are still being ironed out, he is fully aware of his obligations as the IBF world champion and respects the challenge that Sanchez presents.
"Sanchez is a good fighter – big puncher. [He’s] my mandatory challenger, so maybe that fight is possible to be in Croatia next. We need to see what’s going to happen next with my promoter [and] my manager," Hrgovic explained. The champion remained pragmatic about the fluid nature of the heavyweight landscape, acknowledging that the division is constantly shifting. "Maybe that fight is next, or maybe a unification – we still don’t know. But [Sanchez is] a good puncher."
While Hrgovic’s ultimate professional preference would naturally be a massive unification showdown against top-tier contenders like Agit Kabayel or Daniel Dubois to further cement his legacy at the peak of the division, the governing body rules dictate his next steps. Given the mandatory status held by the Cuban contender, it appears increasingly likely that Hrgovic’s next outing will see him step between the ropes to face Sanchez in front of a roaring, passionate home crowd in Zagreb as he looks to successfully defend his world championship status.
