IBF Heavyweight Champ Filip Hrgovic Targets Rico Verhoeven Over Mandatory Challenger

By FIGHT SPORTS Sep 24, 2026 Last updated Sep 24, 2026

IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic is eyeing a fight vs. Rico Verhoeven on the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua undercard rather than making a mandatory defense against Frank Sanchez.

Hrgovic (21-1, 16 KOs) won the vacant title with a ninth-round stoppage of Moses Itauma on August 29. Itauma, unbeaten at the time, was a considerable -900 favorite.

Sanchez had accepted a step-aside agreement to allow the fight, with the Cuban subsequently installed as Hrgovic’s mandatory challenger. The 34-year-old Croatian, however, said another agreement could allow him to face Verhoeven next, even as he maintains his broader goal is to unify the division’s titles.

“He’s mandatory but if he needs to make another step aside, if financially we agreed, I think we are open to do whatever we want,” Hrgovic said. “My ultimate goal is to unify.”

Sanchez’s camp has indicated he won’t accept a second step-aside payment, with his manager insisting the IBF’s rules require the mandatory defense to happen before any other fight, including a unification bout.

Verhoeven (1-1, 1 KO), a longtime kickboxing champion, made his second professional boxing appearance against Oleksandr Usyk on May 23. He troubled the Ukrainian before being stopped in the 11th round.

Hrgovic said he had heard discussions about facing Verhoeven on the December 11 Fury-Joshua card in Cardiff and would be interested if “a good deal” could be reached.