Fight results

A real treat for fans who enjoy hard-hitting heavyweight clashes. David Adeleye and Filip Hrgovic are straightforward fighters who spend the majority of their time on the offensive, pressing forward and looking to land power shots.

Hrgovic holds the size advantage. His style revolves around heavy straight punches from the opening seconds. His unorthodox technique allows him to use his size effectively, delivering blows from awkward angles. Adeleye also works well coming forward. He starts fast, applying pressure, but if met with resistance, he can comfortably switch to fighting as the “second number.” This is not classic counterpunching, but rather a willingness to concede the initiative in order to intercept attacks and respond with more sporadic bursts.

This is a matchup of heavyweights in their prime. Hrgovic is the more experienced man, a former Olympian with names like Zhilei Zhang, Dempsey McKean, and Daniel Dubois on his record. At 32, he is in his heavyweight prime. Adeleye, 28, has Fabio Wardley—who stopped him in seven rounds—as his most notable opponent. While Adeleye has been through tough British domestic fights, he lacks experience at the elite level. Hrgovic is only the second high-profile name on his résumé after Wardley.

Hrgovic is busier in the ring, often taking the lead and applying pressure. Even against Joe Joyce, who was able to push him back, he averaged 20–40 punches per round—a strong work rate for a heavyweight. Adeleye is less active, especially under sustained pressure, and tends to focus on aggressive power counters. This was evident in his fight with Wardley, where Fabio’s higher volume contrasted with Adeleye’s 15–25 punches per round.

Hrgovic last fought in spring 2025, returning from the Dubois loss with a decision win over Joyce. He claims illness before the Dubois fight, which ended in his first pro defeat. Adeleye has boxed twice since losing to Wardley—both stoppage wins—one in late 2024 and one in 2025, totaling just 7 rounds. Hrgovic went 10 rounds with Joyce.

Statistically, Adeleye has the edge with over 90% of wins coming inside the distance compared to Hrgovic’s 70%. Adeleye’s single-punch power is genuine, while Hrgovic generally breaks opponents down with sustained combinations. However, Hrgovic’s KO record comes against a higher level of opposition, and stopping fighters like Zhang or Joyce is far harder than knocking out less experienced foes.

Hrgovic’s durability is among the best in the division. He has absorbed big shots from Zhang and stood under Joyce’s pressure. Dubois stopped him due to injury, not a clean knockout. Adeleye has a solid chin but has been stopped before, showing he is hittable under heavy fire.

The fight takes place in Saudi Arabia, where Adeleye has a negative record, having lost to Wardley in Riyadh in 2024 on the Dubois–Hrgovic undercard. Hrgovic, however, has won multiple bouts there, including against Eric Molina, Zhang, and Mark de Mori.

Both fighters are rebounding from setbacks. Adeleye was decisively beaten by Wardley. Hrgovic lost to Dubois after a strong start but has since beaten Joyce. However, neither man’s comeback wins have truly surprised observers—they were expected.

This bout will answer critical questions. Who can impose their style? Can Hrgovic’s chin handle Adeleye’s power? Will Adeleye wilt under Hrgovic’s awkward pressure?

Overall, Hrgovic looks the favorite: older in boxing years (more mature), more experienced, bigger, and stylistically difficult for Adeleye. But the Brit has a path to victory—getting inside, working the body, and exploiting Hrgovic’s tendency to fade in the later rounds.