On August 12, O2 Arena in London is set to be graced with some of the best heavyweight fights in recent times. Apart from the main event where Anthony Joshua will take on Robert Helenius, the precursor to that fight will be between Filip Hrgovic and Demsey McKean. Hrgovic is said to be one of the most talented boxers to come out of Croatia and is adamant about leaving his mark on the heavyweight division.
Mckean, who resides in Brentwood, England, originally comes from the land down under and is considered a tough heavyweight. Both fighters are coming into this fight undefeated, with a stellar knockout record. The 31-year-old Hrgovic has 15 fights and wins as a professional with 12 knockouts, whereas McKean comes in with 22 professional wins, with 14 via knockout.
⚖️ WEIGH-IN AND FACE-OFF 👀
Filip Hrgovic vs Demsey McKean@WassermanBoxing @SauerlandBros#HrgovicMcKean #JoshuaHelenius pic.twitter.com/oLCKWOhxZs
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) August 11, 2023
IBF mandatory World Title challenger Filip Hrgovic is coming into this fight after a scrappy, yet impressive win against China’s Zhilei Zhang. The Croat outpointed his Chinese counterpart last year in Dubai on the undercard of Joshua vs Usyk 2. The win, a final eliminator for the IBF World Heavyweight Title, allowed Hrgovic to be ranked IBF’s number 1 heavyweight.
Mckean also arrives with an outstanding win against Germany’s Patrick Korte in three rounds and claimed the vacant IBF Intercontinental Title.
Filip Hrgovic vs Demsey McKean Stats
Stats | Filip Hrgovic (31) | Demsey Mckean (32) |
---|---|---|
Wins | 15 | 22 |
Losses | 0 | 0 |
Height | 6 ft 5 in | 6 ft 5 in |
Division | Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
Reach | 82 in | 78 in |
Weight | 242 lbs | 242 lbs |
Filip Hrgovic vs Demsey McKean breakdown and fight prediction
Demsey McKean hails as an underdog for the coming fight even though he has more fights under his belt. The Australian is a fierce competitor who started his journey into sports with rugby. This was followed by boxing and also mixed martial arts. The older of the two fighters got a chance to spar with Anthony Joshua in 2021 and made a permanent move to the UK.
Hrgovic comes in as the favorite, because of the quality of opponents he has faced in the past. Last year Usyk was ordered to defend his unified world title belts against Hrgovic, but the order was taken back when they realized Daniel Dubois, the WBA secondary world titleholder, was next in line in. Hrgovic has vowed to change the face of the heavyweight division and is keen on taking Usyk if he wins his bout against Mckean.
FACE OFF 👀@JohnnyFisherBox vs Harry Armstrong
🛡️ Southern Area Heavyweight Title#FisherArmstrong #JoshuaHelenius pic.twitter.com/LzdFqHGTvX
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) August 9, 2023
The 2016 Olympic bronze-medalist had this to say regarding the fight. “The heavyweight champion cannot avoid me any longer and, once I have defeated Demsey McKean on August 12, they will have no other option but to face me,” said Hrgovic. “I have waited patiently and bided my time, but the game is up. ‘El Animal’ is coming for you and is ready to take the belts back to Croatia.”
McKean also wants to make his name by defeating Usyk, as the winner of this bout is mandated to take the winner of the Usyk-Dubois fight.