RIYADH — IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic has emerged as a primary target for a future bout against former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven. Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has identified the potential matchup as one of seven fights he is eager to organize, according to reports from Mike Coppinger.
Hrgovic secured his IBF title last month with a ninth-round stoppage of Moses Itauma. Despite Itauma scoring a second-round knockdown and controlling the early pace, the 21-year-old faded, allowing the Croatian to secure the finish. Hrgovic is now required to defend his belt against mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez before any further unification or high-profile bouts can be finalized.
Verhoeven, who currently holds a No. 8 ranking from the WBC, transitioned to professional boxing and notably faced Oleksandr Usyk in May, suffering an 11th-round stoppage defeat. While Alalshikh has expressed interest in the Hrgovic-Verhoeven pairing, other potential opponents for the IBF champion include Agit Kabayel, Murat Gassiev, or the winner of the upcoming Daniel Dubois versus Fabio Wardley rematch.