Filip Hrgovic to replace Dillian Whyte in Joe Joyce bout

Heavyweight Filip Hrgovic will fight Joe Joyce in Manchester, England on April 5 as the replacement for Dillian Whyte.

Promoter Frank Warren confirmed on Thursday that Hrgovic (17-1, 14 KOs) will step up in place of Whyte, who was forced to withdraw from the bout with a hand injury.

“It’s a tough fight for both of them,” Warren told Ring Magazine. “It’s exactly the same as the fight he had before, Joe, against Dillian. The winner goes on, the loser is going to have to think about what he does.

“Every fight he [Joyce] has is a risky fight. But if he wants to get back into it, he’s got to come back with a win against a real good, credible opponent.”

Hrgovic is coming off a brutal defeat — the first of his career — to Daniel Dubois in June last year.

Meanwhile, Joyce (16-3, 13 KOs) is still attempting to climb the heavyweight ranks following back-to-back defeats to Zhilei Zhang in 2023 and a loss to fellow Brit Derek Chisora last year.

Lawrence Okolie has also been forced to withdraw from his heavyweight fight against Richard Riakporhe after sustaining a leg injury.

Source: espn.com