The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has decided not to strip Oleksandr Usyk of his heavyweight title, and instead designating the Filip Hrgovic vs. Daniel Dubois bout on Saturday in Saudi Arabia as a fight for the interim heavyweight title.
Usyk, the undisputed champion, is currently under a medical suspension following his split-decision victory over Tyson Fury on May 18. He has requested an exception from the IBF to retain his belt. Meanwhile, the IBF has offered a consolation to Croatia’s mandatory contender Hrgovic in the form of an interim title fight against England’s Dubois.
Hrgovic and his team had been pushing for the IBF to declare Saturday’s match a full title fight, citing the organization’s bylaws which state that a champion cannot schedule a rematch when a mandatory defense is due. However, the IBF has opted to wait on Usyk’s medical situation and his request for an exception.
Should Hrgovic emerge victorious on the DAZN-streamed “5 versus 5” card, he will claim the interim heavyweight title. This scenario leaves the door open for Usyk to negotiate a potential financial deal to face Hrgovic next, assuming he wins his rematch against Fury, which is slated for December 21 in Riyadh.
Image Credit: DAZN