There was once a time when Filip Hrgovic was hailed as the future of the heavyweight division but, at 33, the man from Zagreb, Croatia, is still working away to fulfill that potential.

After back-to-back fights against British opponents, Hrgovic will complete a UK hat-trick when he takes on Londoner David Adeleye in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Aug. 16. It has been a mixed bag against the Brits, too, with an eighth-round knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois before he got back on the horse with a unanimous decision against Joe Joyce.

But Adeleye (14-1, 13 KOs) is still something of an unknown quantity in the division. The 28-year-old "Big D" was brutally dispatched by Fabio Wardley in the seventh round of his only outing in Saudi Arabia.

His obvious punching power, however, displayed in two inside-distance victories since that night, means Adeleye is a very serious threat to the elder statesman.

This will be Hrgovic's fourth fight in Riyadh so he has been there, done it and got the bruises to show for it. There are clearly incredibly high stakes in this fight with no shortage of fellow contenders in the division, but what does Hrgovic have to do to ensure he leaves with a victory?

Last fight: Responded to the first defeat of his career by returning to beat Joyce on points over 10 rounds at Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. Judges returned cards of 96-95, 97-93 and 98-92 after a reasonably comfortable night.

Odds: A very sizeable favourite to win the fight with most bookmakers pricing him around 1/6 but some as wide as 1/9. Interestingly, markets for him to win on points or inside the distance are both priced at 7/5.

How does Hrgovic win? Given his dimensions and obvious skill as a boxer, this looks like a case of staying switched on throughout and keeping his shorter opponent at mid-to-long range at all times.

His 14 knockouts in 18 wins are testament to his punching power, too, so the order of the day will be to keep Adeleye on the end of his jab in a bid to set up the crunching right hand which has worked so well in the past. What he does not need is Adeleye up close and winging hooks over the top of his guard.

What it means if he wins: This is as much about what it means if he does not lose. A defeat here to an underdog in Adeleye, which would leave him at 18-2, is unthinkable for a contender who has his sights set firmly on becoming world heavyweight champion.

The Dubois defeat was hard to take, but a second loss in three outings would leave him miles back in a very busy queue for the belts. Victory would push him up a few spots and leave him perfectly positioned, if and when those titles fragment over the next year.

What they're saying: "I think he's a good fighter and a good fight for me. Hopefully I get another win to get back in the mix and a big fight after this. It's not like an easy-easy opponent but also not like a super-super tough one, either. I expect a good fight and with God’s help I'll win, move forward towards one of the biggest names out there.” — Hrgovic

TV/Stream: Hrgovic-Adeleye and the entire Esports World Cup Fight Week fight card will be available to stream live on DAZN Pay Per-View. The event is priced at £19.99 in the United Kingdom, $19.99 in the United States, €19.99 in Europe and $39.99 in Australia.