Zhang Zhilei (20-0-1, 18 KOs) officially agreed to participate in the IBF heavyweight qualifying match. In the next fight, the boxer from China will face Filip Hrgovic (14-0, 12 KOs).
The fight should take place in May or April in the USA. The winner will become the official contender for the fight against Oleksandr Usyk, who won the belt of the International Boxing Federation in the fall by beating Anthony Joshua on points.
Hrgovic and Zhang are working with promotional organization Matchroom Boxing, which means they are likely to be able to reach an agreement and thus avoid promotional bidding. The Croatian waited a long time to get an opponent in the IBF eliminator, as most of the top 15 in the federation rating reported their unavailability for such a meeting in the near future.
