Undefeated IBF #1, WBA #8, WBO #13, WBC #15 heavyweight Filip “El Animal” Hrgovic (16-0, 13 KOs) scored a sudden twelfth round TKO over previously unbeaten IBF #13, WBO #14 Demsey McKean (22-1, 14 KOs) to preserve his mandatory shot at unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night at The O2 Arena in London. Lots of rabbit punches were allowed in this fight. Hrgovic pressed the action and won the early rounds. McKean became more active midway. Hrgovic rocked McKean in round nine. A lot of holding by McKean for the rest of the way.
The bout looked like it was headed to a workmanlike decision for Hrgovic when he finally connected with a huge right hand that staggered McKean in the final round. McKean reeled around the ring and the bout was stopped. Time was 1:01.
Flip needs to be more active to get his sharpness back.
Totally agree. He’s clearly talented, but his activity level is far too low. Usyk will simply outwork him.
Hrgovic has some decent boxing skills for a heavyweight. However, he lacks that one-crack power, tends to get one-dimensional, and needs more tune-ups before he dives into a huge title fight.
He does box well but when he fought Zhang he seemed to get out-muscled and out-powered. I didn’t think he should have gotten that decision. I don’t think he can hang with Fury, Wilder, Usyk, or Joshua.
Joshua he would have a great chance of beating him
Agree Scooby…Can see the talent…but in flashes…maybe time to change the team up a bit…
Hrgovic every fight aims punches at the back of the head. Really dirty fighter he is.
Ref let it go the whole fight!
Two big punches to the back of the head to end the fight…
They need to stop using other fighters nicknames, and have their own!
I had the fight even going into the last round. Who agrees? Or disagrees? Also, DAZN keeps phasing in and out freezing up. Anyone else have issues with it?
My DAZN feed was good. The action kept freezing …
Funny …!!!!! Bryan C
I had Hrgovic ahead 7-4 going into the last round. McKean was working hard and having moments, and outworked Hrgovic in a few rounds. McKean is a decent fighter owing to being very well conditioned. But he’ll struggle to compete with legit contenders that put punches on target.
Yeah I get a lot of freezing for a few seconds + moving between low/high picture quality.
Disappointing performance from Washington
He can box a little bit, looks like he didn’t even try throwing the jab out enough
He could have boxed circles around him. Crazy
Marcus McDonnell was terrible in this fight. He was too far away, kept making grand hand gestures as if the fighters are even paying attention to him, never broke the fighters up physically (he’s lucky these guys broke up on their own without hitting on the break), and allowed way too much holding which ruined the flow of the fight. And when Hrgovic landed those two rights behind the head at the end, it was because McDonnell was yet again just acting like a bystander to the fight rather then getting involved.