Although the 33-year-old Croatian is backed by the show promoters Queensberry and will walk to the ring as a huge favorite to beat Allen (25-8-2, 20 KOs), he will be very much the away fighter on the night.

Experience has taught Hrgovic (19-1, 14 KOs) just how crucial it will be to stamp his authority on the fight from the very start.

“It’s important to not give him wings. To cut his wings and to keep control,” Hrgovic told The Ring.

“But even if he lands, I have a good chin. I have a lot of experience so, if I lose some rounds, it's not a big problem. I will come back.”

Hrgovic knows he can’t afford to overlook Allen. A decorated amateur with an Olympic bronze medal, he was long assumed to be the future of the heavyweight division but has sometimes flattered to deceive.

In August 2022, he entered his fight with Zhilei Zhang as a sizeable favorite but was dropped in the opening round and pushed to the limit by the veteran Chinese fighter before claiming a close unanimous decision before laboring to a 12th-round stoppage of Demsey McKean 12 months later.

Citing previous sparring sessions, Hrgovic cut a very confident character during the build-up to his June 2024 fight with Daniel Dubois but after a strong start, he was worn down and stopped in eight rounds by the Londoner who grew in self-belief as the rounds passed. Nearly two years on, he denies taking Dubois lightly.

“I didn’t. It's just I was sick and injured before the fight. I was cut from the first round, so I looked bad in that fight," Hrgovic explained.

“I wasn't taking him lightly but just a lot of bulls—t happened before the fight, so I wasn't on my level.”

Whatever the reasons, the final outcome caused Hrgovic to rethink his approach and he joined up with Abel Sanchez in California.

Last April, he turned up for his fight with Joe Joyce with a full gas tank and pounded out a solid 10-round decision over “The Juggernaut”. Four months later, he controlled the vast majority of time against David Adeleye, battling through a rocky spell in round eight.

It is heavily rumored Hrgovic — The Ring's No. 5-rated heavyweight — is being lined up to fight 21-year-old sensation Moses Itauma should he beat Allen. Hrgovic still feels as though he is rebuilding from the Dubois loss.

“Yes, yes, yes. I'm still looking for a big, big fight. I mean, Joyce was a big, big win and Adeleye was a good win but I'm still looking for a big statement to come into conversation with the best ones.”