Itauma: I'm Not Afraid of Hrgović
Young Briton Moses Itauma and Croatian heavyweight Filip Hrgović will decide on August 29 at London's O2 Arena who will become the new IBF world heavyweight champion.
Young Briton Moses Itauma and Croatian heavyweight Filip Hrgović will decide on August 29 at London's O2 Arena who will become the new IBF world heavyweight champion.
Croatian boxer Filip Hrgović has gotten the opportunity of a lifetime. He will fight for the vacant IBF world heavyweight title against British talent Moses Itauma, with the bout scheduled for August 29, 2026 at London's O2 Arena.
The news was confirmed on Tuesday by promoter Queensberry Promotions, and the stakes became even higher after Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk relinquished the IBF title in June this year. "The fight between Itauma and Hrgović has just gained even more significance. The stakes are the IBF world heavyweight title; a new king will be crowned in London on August 29," the promoters announced on platform X.
Hrgović (34), the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, enters the ring with a professional record of 20 wins and just one loss. That sole defeat came at the hands of Daniel Dubois in 2024, when the fight was stopped due to a cut. On the other side, 21-year-old Itauma boasts a perfect record, 14 wins, with 12 of those coming by knockout.
For Itauma, this will be his 15th professional appearance and a chance to become the second-youngest world heavyweight champion in history. Only Mike Tyson would be ahead of him, while he would surpass legends like Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali on that list.
Although the boxing public considers Itauma one of the biggest talents of today, Hrgović said at a joint press conference that the young Briton's performances so far have not impressed him to the same degree. "I'm not as impressed as the rest of the world. I'm a fighter, and I look at it from a different angle," said the Croatian heavyweight.
He acknowledged that Itauma possesses speed and technical quality but stressed that he has yet to prove he has all the attributes needed for the top of the world. "I've never seen him in trouble. I haven't seen him take punches or hit the canvas. He definitely has skill and speed, but for a great fighter, you need heart, will, a solid chin, and endurance. We haven't seen that from him yet," Hrgović analyzed.
The Croatian boxer believes he will be the one to test Itauma's limits. "Maybe he has all that, and maybe he doesn't. I think I'll test him. I'll check whether he's really what everyone says or not. I believe I'll beat him and become world heavyweight champion," he said.
The young Briton responded with confidence. After they first faced off, Itauma stated that the Croatian opponent did not impress him. "Hrgović is not someone I fear or who worries me. When I stood across from him... I don't know, there's nothing refined about him. He's just another body to add to the list," he said.
Despite those words, Itauma does not hide his respect for Hrgović's boxing qualities. "I think Hrgović is the most technically sound boxer I've faced so far. I feel more motivated than usual," admitted the 21-year-old, who has already knocked out Dillian Whyte in the first round in his career.
Comparing Hrgović to previous opponents, Itauma said: "I believe I'll knock out Hrgović, but a knockout isn't something I necessarily look for in a fight. Hrgović is in his prime. He's a completely different fighter and certainly much more skilled than Dillian Whyte. He's more dangerous and better defensively than him. Overall, he's a better fighter."
Itauma revealed that preparations for this fight have been marked by unusually high motivation. "Preparations are going well, as they should. Usually, at the start of a training camp, I'm filled with great excitement, but it fades over time. This is the first camp where I've been excited the whole time," he said, adding that during fight week, he focuses only on stepping into the ring: "I don't like to overcomplicate things, especially during fight week. The hard part is already done by then; all that's left is to get in the ring and enjoy it."
According to promoter Frank Warren, Cuban Frank Sanchez, the top-ranked IBF contender, has agreed to step aside temporarily and fight the winner of this bout. "We paid him a certain amount. We told him: whoever wins that fight, you won't be left out, and you'll get the opportunity to fight for the title against the winner," Warren told the BBC.
The O2 Arena will thus host a great generational showdown at the end of August, on one side, the experienced Croatian challenger seeking the crowning achievement of his career, and on the other, the young British talent aiming to reach the world throne at an accelerated pace.
