Filip Hrgovic Tells Murat Gassiev to 'Go Back to Cruiserweight'

Filip Hrgovic is settling into life as a world champion, and he's not shy about pointing out who he thinks shouldn't be sharing the room. The Croatian lifted the vacant IBF heavyweight title in August by halting Moses Itauma, and with his first defense close to being signed, he's already surveying the rest of the belt-holders. One name got a cold reception: WBA champion Murat Gassiev, whom Hrgovic told to head back down to cruiserweight.

Speaking on the DAZN broadcast of Daniel Dubois' most recent win, Hrgovic dismissed the Russian as someone who doesn't belong in the division. Gassiev, a former two-weight titleholder, was bumped up to full WBA heavyweight champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated his three belts earlier this year — but the sanctioning body's decision to park a vacant WBA (Super) strap on the upcoming Tyson Fury–Anthony Joshua card has muddied his standing considerably.

The Mandatory First

Before any of the trash talk means anything, Hrgovic has homework. His mandatory is Cuba's Frank Sanchez, the man who stepped aside to let Hrgovic and Itauma contest the vacant IBF title in the first place. That debt now gets called in. Clear Sanchez and the picture opens up fast.

Hrgovic has made no secret of wanting to unify. That road runs through two live names: WBO champion Daniel Dubois, sitting on a 23-3 (22 KO) record after a grinding eleventh-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley, and WBC champion Agit Kabayel, unbeaten at 27-0 (19 KO) and fresh off a third-round blitz of Damian Knyba. Hrgovic said he'd happily smash Dubois given the chance — a rematch that would likely land in the UK — while a Kabayel unification would probably mean a trip to Germany.

Where Gassiev Fits — Or Doesn't

The contrast in tone is telling. Hrgovic kept things respectful toward Dubois and Kabayel, the two champions whose resumes he clearly takes seriously. Gassiev, by his reckoning, is a different case entirely — a cruiserweight in heavyweight clothing whose title claim is thinning by the week.

Gassiev isn't sitting idle, mind you. He knocked out Peter Kadiru in July to defend the WBA belt and is expected back in the coming months against either Derek Chisora — now 36-14 (23 KO) and coming off a split-decision loss to Deontay Wilder — or Jarrell Miller. Whether that keeps him in Hrgovic's crosshairs or confirms his second-tier status is the open question. For now, the Croatian has made his view perfectly clear.