Filip Hrgovic Backs Fury to KO Joshua in Cardiff — and Dodge Him After

With seven weeks to go until Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally share a ring on December 11 in Cardiff, IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic has planted his flag: he's taking Fury, by knockout. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Hrgovic pointed to Joshua's last outing — a July win in which AJ was dropped twice inside the opening round before recovering to stop Kristian Prenga in the second — as the tell.

Hrgovic didn't dress it up. He said Joshua went down in roughly 10 seconds from a soft punch against a journeyman, and that was enough to tip him toward the Gypsy King. He also hedged, calling it an intriguing clash of two genuine superstars who are, in his view, both past their best.

The numbers frame the picture. Fury sits at 36-2-1 (25 KO) and ranked #3 at heavyweight, rebuilding after back-to-back decision losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. He's won twice since — outpointing Arslanbek Makhmudov in April, then forcing Mariusz Wach to retire after seven rounds in a low-key Thailand card in July. Joshua, meanwhile, carries a 29-4 (26 KO) ledger into the biggest domestic fight of the era.

The Title Nobody Asked For

There's a belt attached, though not the one you'd expect. In a move that's drawn plenty of grumbling, the vacant WBA (Super) heavyweight title will be on the line. That means the Cardiff winner can call himself boxing's fifth three-time heavyweight world champion — a milestone that sounds grander than the hardware's messy provenance suggests.

Hrgovic Isn't Holding His Breath

As for whether the victor comes knocking on his door for a unification? Hrgovic isn't betting on it. He said he doesn't think either man will want to fight him afterward, adding he'd be happy to be proven wrong but isn't counting on it. Given both Fury and Joshua have bigger, louder options at their disposal, it's hard to argue with his read.

The real elephant stays unmentioned in Hrgovic's forecast: Usyk. The Ukrainian remains the lineal champion at 25-0 (16 KO), the man who beat Fury twice and holds the sport's gold standard. Whatever happens in Cardiff, the winner's legacy still runs through the one name neither camp wants to say too loudly.