IBF number one heavyweight contender Filip ‘El Animal’ Hrgovic 15-0 (12) is looking to get one more win under his belt before challenging WBA, WBO and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk 20-0 (13) next year.
The 31-year-old Croatian will take on Australian southpaw Demsey ‘The Tower of Terror’ McKean 22-0 (14) at the O2 Arena in London, England on Saturday night.
The bout will take place on the undercard of Anthony Joshua 25-3 (22) vs Robert Helenius 32-4 (21).
“Thank you for this opportunity, it’s great for me, I haven’t fought for a year, so I am happy to be back in the ring and one fight away from fighting for a world title,” Hrgovic said. “I am very excited, well prepared and ready to rock and roll.”
In his last outing Hrgovic snuck by big punching Chinese southpaw Zhilei ‘Big Bang’ Zhang 25-1-1 (20) by razor-thin unanimous decision in Saudi Arabia last August.
Despite the closeness of the bout the victory has aged well, with Zhang going on to defeat top defender Joe Joyce 15-1 (14) by sixth-round knockout in April.
“I am glad the fight with Zhang happened,” Hrgovic said. “I didn’t look very well but I know that was my worst night. I beat a good fighter, you saw what he did to Joe Joyce, he showed he’s a top ten heavyweight and on my worst night I beat him. That’s good that I had that performance and people can underestimate me, because I know that I can do much better and I didn’t take this fight with Demsey lightly and I am ready for anything.
“We will see – anything is possible in boxing and life. But I don’t see how he can beat me. He’s had 22 fights before, but I don’t see anything special in his game and as I said before, it’s one thing to be confident, but another to be delusional.”
McKean has had extra time to prepare for this bout with new trainer Tony Sims.
“I’ve been back in the UK since December and been in the gym since January,” the 32-year-old McKean said. We were looking to fight in May and it got pushed back a bit, but it’s good that we got the date to hone in on and a blessing in disguise as we got more time with Tony Sims to learn. He is one of the best coaches in the world and it shows it with the stable of fighters he has, and I’m looking to put it all into play on Saturday.
“I wake up every morning and tell myself: 36 minutes is all it takes to change my life. There have been bigger upsets in heavyweight boxing and I think that this is a very even fight.
“He waffles on about ‘who has he knocked out that I haven’t knocked out?’ Well, who has he decisively beaten? He only has Zhilei Zhang and that was a controversial decision, so we have similar CVs as each other.
“He’s a good fighter, I just think I have the tools to beat him and give him a hell of a night. I have good footwork, good head movement, hand-speed, punch selection and good power.
“I’m just excited, I think he’s going to bring out the best in me, he’s a good contender and I can’t wait for that.”
