Hrgovic's First IBF Defence Points to Sanchez in Early 2027

Filip Hrgovic's first title defence is starting to take shape, and it looks like a promise coming due rather than a dream fight. Frank Warren told iFL TV that the new IBF heavyweight champion won't box again in 2026 but will return early in 2027, most likely against Cuba's Frank Sanchez — the mandatory who was paid a step-aside fee to let the Itauma fight happen in the first place.

That fee is exactly why Warren is treating this as settled. He called Sanchez a contractual obligation, noting it's what Hrgovic signed up for and what the promotion paid the Cuban to defer. Sanchez, 26-1 (19 KO) and ranked #7, hasn't gone quiet either: his camp has said he won't take another step-aside and fully intends to activate his mandatory position.

How Hrgovic Got Here

Nobody expected this. Hrgovic entered his maiden world title shot as a heavy underdog against 21-year-old Moses Itauma, the 14-0 (12 KO) phenom who was in line to become the second-youngest heavyweight champion in history. For eight rounds it looked like the script was holding — Itauma scored an early knockdown and was comfortably ahead on the cards.

Then the tank ran dry. Itauma began to fade, Hrgovic pounced in the ninth, and 'El Animal' halted the Brit to become Croatia's first-ever heavyweight world champion. It was the kind of result that reshapes a division overnight, and it's why the mandatory picture suddenly matters so much.

The Fight He Actually Wants

Hrgovic's own preference isn't Sanchez at all. He's shown little enthusiasm for a fight he's already contracted to, pushing instead for unifications and, more pointedly, a homecoming. He hasn't boxed on Croatian soil since 2018, and he's been lobbying to fix that.

The timing is almost too neat. Zagreb's Kranjčevićeva Stadium — an 11,000-seat venue in his hometown — is due to complete its reconstruction in February 2027, right around when Warren expects the champion back in action. A heavyweight title night would be a fitting reopener. Warren left a small door ajar too, saying that if something else comes up they'll talk to Sanchez. For now, though, the mandatory is the plan, and the Cuban has no intention of stepping aside twice.