David Adeleye believes that he is capable of jumping through the levels and beating Filip Hrgovic when they fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

The heavyweight clash forms part of the Esports World Cup Fight Week card. The event will be streamed globally on DAZN pay-per-view.

The always self-assured Hrgovic (18-1, 14 KOs) will know that a loss to the explosive but relatively inexperienced Adeleye (14-1, 13 KOs) would all but end his world title hopes but if the 33-year-old is feeling any pressure, he isn’t showing it. The Croatian has described this weekend’s fight as “a walk in the park”.

“If I'm a walk in the park, I want to see what sort of park he walks through,” Adeleye said at Thursday’s final press conference.

The last time he made a significant step up in class, Adeleye was stopped by Fabio Wardley in the seventh round of a challenge for the Ipswich man’s British and Commonwealth titles in October 2023.

After joining up with renowned trainer, Adam Booth, Adeleye bounced back with a first round knockout of of Solomon Dacres - a result that now looks even better given Dacres’ impressive recent win over the previously undefeated Vladyslav Sirenko - but, in April, he struggled through five slow rounds with Jeamie TKV before hurting his fellow Londoner with a left hook as the referee instructed the fighters to break midway through the sixth.

To Adeleye’s credit, he seized his opportunity and finished TKV efficiently but although Hrgovic can be inconsistent, he represents a significant leap in class and the most serious test yet of the 28-year-old’s credentials.

“I suppose it is a jump up in levels, because obviously he's better than my opponents I've been in the ring with so far but, at the end of the day, he's another human being and the only person I fear is God so I think Saturday night's going to be a good night for the fans,” Adeleye said.

Adeleye has cut a relaxed, confident figure throughout the build up but whether it was hearing Hrgovic’s insults in person or simply the magnitude of the task he faces this weekend beginning to dawn on him, he seemed to enter fight mode.

“If he keeps talking like that, I might knock him out the same way I knocked out Jeamie. So, who knows?” Adeleye snapped.

“The talking's done. Saturday night, we're going to see each other. We're both heavyweights. He believes in himself. I definitely believe in myself.”