Filip Hrgovic is set to defend his IBF title in the first quarter of 2027, taking on a formidable puncher in his home city of Zagreb, Croatia.

The 34-year-old became his country’s first ever world heavyweight champion in August, pulling off a sizable upset against the highly-touted Moses Itauma.

For the first eight rounds, victory appeared to be slipping through his fingers as Itauma – the faster and more athletically-gifted operator – had scored a second-round knockdown and was generally dominating their contest.

In a stunning turn of events, however, Hrgovic took advantage of the 21-year-old’s exhaustion and scored a ninth-round stoppage on away soil.

As for his next assignment, the Croatian is looking to stage a homecoming early next year and, more than likely, it will be mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez standing in the opposite corner.

The Cuban comes off an emphatic second-round finish over Richard Torrez Jr in May, with his only defeat arriving via a seventh-round knockout against Agit Kabayel in 2024.

Speaking with Sky Sports, the 34-year-old’s manager, Mike Borao, said he expects Sanchez to face Hrgovic in the Croatian capital early next year.

“I expect Frank Sanchez versus Filip Hrgovic to take place in the first quarter of 2027, perhaps in Zagreb, but too early to know for sure.”

Borao added that he has spoken extensively with Queensberry Promotions’ George Warren, while Hrgovic recently told DAZN that nothing is set in stone but acknowledges the mandatory order.

“Sanchez is a good fighter – big puncher. [He’s] my mandatory challenger, so maybe that fight is possible to be in Croatia next. We need to see what’s going to happen next with my promoter [and] my manager.

“Maybe that fight is next, or maybe a unification – we still don’t know. But [Sanchez is] a good puncher.”

While his preference would, of course, be a unification match with either Kabayel or Daniel Dubois, it does seem likely that Hrgovic’s next outing will be against Sanchez.