Hrgović and Plantić to Challenge for World Titles on August 29
While Filip Hrgović will fight for the vacant IBF heavyweight title in London, Luka Plantić will challenge for the interim WBC super middleweight title in Los Angeles.
While Filip Hrgović will fight for the vacant IBF heavyweight title in London, Luka Plantić will challenge for the interim WBC super middleweight title in Los Angeles.
Croatian boxing is gearing up for one of the biggest nights in its history. On Friday, August 29, 2026, two Croatian boxers will simultaneously challenge for world titles. Filip Hrgović (34) will seek the vacant IBF heavyweight belt at the O2 Arena in London, while Luka Plantić (29) will face Guatemala's Lester Martinez in Los Angeles for the interim WBC super middleweight title.
After Oleksandr Usyk vacated the IBF title in June 2026, an opportunity arose for a new champion. Hrgović's opponent will be young Brit Moses Itauma (21), whom many consider the biggest talent in the heavyweight division. In his professional career, Itauma has recorded 14 wins, 12 of them by knockout, with eight opponents defeated in the first round.
Promoter Frank Warren confirmed that Cuban Frank Sanchez, who was initially set to negotiate with Itauma, agreed to step aside from the fight for the vacant belt. In return, he will receive a financial compensation and a guaranteed shot against the winner of this bout. "We paid Sanchez a certain amount. We told him that whoever wins, he won't be at a loss and will get a chance to fight for the title against the winner," Warren stated.
Hrgović (20-1) enters the fight after a convincing victory over David Allen (34, 27-9-2), whose corner stopped the bout in the third round. This will be his second chance to become world champion. During 2024, in a fight for the IBF interim title against Daniel Dubois, he suffered a loss by stoppage in the eighth round due to cuts above his eye preventing the fight from continuing.
Undefeated Luka Plantić (13-0) will have the opportunity to make the biggest step in his career against Lester Martinez (30, 20-0-1). The Guatemalan has yet to taste defeat, with his only non-win being last year's draw against current WBC champion Christian M'Bili.
Plantić is aware of the moment's significance. "The biggest challenge of my career. I will earn my place among the world's best against the still-undefeated Lester Martinez. Everything I've done for years has led to this moment. Respect to my opponent, but in the ring I'm going for the win. And for the belt," the Croatian boxer said.
In an interview with Index.hr earlier this year, Plantić revealed the background of the deal: "There was talk that I would fight Diego Pacheco or Jaime Munguia, but they didn't want to fight me. Then an opportunity came to fight Martinez, who took the interim title. The WBC ordered that he must fight me to defend that title."
Plantić has 13 wins in his professional career, ten of them by stoppage. He currently holds the WBC International belt, which he has defended four times. His last appearance was in November 2025 in Tirana, where he defeated Shadiri Muse Bwogi by technical knockout in the ninth round. Martinez, on the other hand, has 20 wins and 16 knockouts.
The stakes are enormous for both Croatian fighters. Hrgović would finally realize his dream and become world champion in the heavyweight division, while Plantić, by winning the interim WBC belt, would earn a fight against the winner of the bout between M'Bili and the great Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed world title. "The fight is significant because I'm fighting for the interim world champion, and the winner goes directly to the winner of the Canelo and M'bili fight and can become the undisputed world champion," Plantić told Index.hr.
On August 29, Croatia could have two world boxing champions in the same evening.
