Hrgovic soaked up everything his 21-year-old opponent threw at him at 02 Arena last weekend before claiming the vacant IBF heavyweight title via a ninth-round stoppage. After the fight, the 34-year-old admitted that he nearly retired from boxing altogether after the first and only defeat of his career on June 1, 2024, when Dubois stopped him in the eighth round of their matchup in Saudi Arabia on cuts. It remains a very underrated victory for Dubois (23-2, 22 KOs), who absorbed a number of hard right hands in the early rounds before settling into the fight himself. “That win has aged well,” Dubois, 28, said. “We gritted it out and what a fight it was.

“I could feel that heart he showed when he fought Itauma, but I broke him down a bit more, though. “He wanted to get out I think. He wanted to get out of there against me. “I don’t think I get the credit I deserve for that win, but now you see it don’t you? Now you see the difference.” Dubois (23-3, 22 KOs) was speaking at the launch press conference for his world heavyweight title rematch with Fabio Wardley (20-1-1, 19 KOs) on October 17.

The Londoner stopped Wardley in the 11th round of their Manchester war in May to become WBO champion and must face him again as per the rematch clause in their original fight contract.

On that victory, which came after he survived two knockdowns inside the first three rounds, Dubois said: “I applied relentless pressure in the pursuit of the win. The plan was to chip away at him and that way we did.

“I need to be sharper off the mark and take him out earlier this time. I come in as champion and I'm going to show the boxing pedigree that I have.” On the heavyweight division as a whole, Dubois added: “I want to be the last man standing and I want to go down as one of the greats.”