Heavyweights Filip Hrgovic (15-0, 12 KO) and Demsey McKean (22-0, 14 KO) are set to face off in a 12-round IBF elimination match on Saturday, August 12th, 2023, at the O2 Arena in Greenwich. Hrgovic vs McKean is set to take place on the undercard of the highly anticipated clash between Anthony Joshua and Robert Helenius.
Hrgovic vs McKean odds
Hrgovic’s status as a heavy favorite is backed by his strong amateur pedigree, an impressive pro record, and previous achievements, such as his Olympic bronze medal.
bet365 via Oddschecker has Hrgovic as the -800 favorite while McKean is the +500 underdog. A successful $100 bet on Hrgovic would net $12.50 while the same winning wager on McKean would net $500.
Don’t be fooled by their records, it’s Hrgovic who has the superior pro experience. While he has fewer bouts, he’s shared the ring with much stiffer opposition. And, again, the Croatian was an elite-level amateur and boasts a 4-inch reach advantage.
If you’re looking for a reason McKean can win this fight, his Southpaw stance is undoubtedly one of them. However, the deep-pedigreed Hrgovic has likely seen every style and should be well-prepared to deal with McKean’s stance.
It’s difficult to see how McKean, who doesn’t boast massive one-punch knockout power, wins this bout.
“You know, in boxing and in life anything is possible,” Hrgovic said during a press conference Wednesday in London. “But I don’t see how he gonna beat me. He had, you know, 22 fights before, but I don’t see anything special in his game. And like I said before, one thing is confidence and another thing is to be delusional.”
Winner
The winner of this bout, unless it ends in a draw or no-contest, will become the IBF’s mandatory challenger for heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk’s belts. Usyk is scheduled to defend his titles against Daniel Dubois on August 26th.
In their last fights, Hrgovic defeated highly-ranked Zhilei Zhang by unanimous decision, and McKean defeated Patrick Korte by technical knockout.
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