Babic Slams Filip Hrgovic Over Rumors of Olympic Run at Tokyo

Alen Babic (3-0, 3 KOs) has verbally blasted his countryman, Filip Hrgovic, over the rumors that the former Olympian is considering the possibility of competing at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Hrgovic captured a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

There have been reports that Hrgovic (10-0, 8 KOs) is pondering a return to the amateur ranks to qualify for this summer's Olympic tournament.

The reports have angered Babic, because he believes Hrgovic - due to his fame in the country - would likely be allowed to avoid a qualifying stage to claim an Olympic spot - and by doing so would overstep Croatia's highest-ranked amateur, Marko Milun.

"Hrgovic is a big bully," Babic told Sky Sports. "He's just another bully in my country. I work as a doorman for 10 years and I know how to deal with bullies.

"Nobody had the guts to tell him, so I tell him and the whole public, and everybody stood up. You have two Olympic trials, two tournaments, and he wanted nobody to go to the first tournament, and he'll go to the second.

"We have another fighter who in the last four years won a medal in the European Championships, who has fought in the World Championships. He fought the best guys at amateur. Who is Hrgovic to tell him [Milun], 'You can't go anywhere'.

"You're fighting bums as a pro and he's fighting world-class heavyweights in the amateurs. He doesn't want to give him a chance. He thinks everybody is afraid of him, but nobody is afraid of him."

Babic, 29 years old and managed by top heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte, would love to get the opportunity to box Hrgovic.

He's very familiar with his countryman, as the two of them have sparred numerous times in the past.

"Of course, I would fight him [Hrgovic] tomorrow," said Babic.

"I work as a doorman and then I sparred him the day after. Every time after a night shift, I sparred with Hrgovic. Of course I will fight him. He said I'm just an ordinary doorman. What does that mean? He just wants to discredit me. I came up the tough way and he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. I did it all by myself."