Hrgović Fires Back at Itauma: 'If I Were British, You'd Be in the Undercard of My Fight'
In a heated face-off ahead of the IBF world heavyweight title bout, Filip Hrgović spoke out about the unfair treatment of boxers from smaller countries.
In a heated face-off ahead of the IBF world heavyweight title bout, Filip Hrgović spoke out about the unfair treatment of boxers from smaller countries.
A tense atmosphere marked the face-off between Filip Hrgović and Moses Itauma ahead of their fight for the vacant IBF world heavyweight title. The two boxers measured each other up with words, and the 34-year-old from Zagreb did not hide his frustration with his status in world boxing compared to his younger opponent, who comes from a boxing powerhouse.
The fight is scheduled for August 29, 2026, at the O2 Arena in London, and the stakes could not be higher, the successor to Oleksandr Usyk, who vacated the IBF title. Hrgović (20-1-0) is looking for a way back to the top after his only professional loss, while the 21-year-old British fighter Itauma (14-0-0, 12 KOs) is an undefeated talent many see as the future of the division.
Hrgović opened the face-off with a direct comparison of their amateur careers. "You were a junior world champion, so was I, but nobody cares about that because I'm Croatian," he told Itauma, highlighting how nationality and market influence a professional boxer's career.
He specifically addressed Itauma's background. The young Briton was born in Kežmarok, Slovakia, to a Nigerian father and Slovak mother, and moved to the UK as a child. "Imagine if you hadn't come from Slovakia to the UK, imagine if you had stayed there. Nobody would know about you. You're from the UK and you have everything," Hrgović said.
Croatia's top heavyweight stressed that he does not want to belittle his opponent but to point out the reality of the boxing business. "I'm not showing disrespect towards you, but these are facts. Things are different when you come from Croatia versus the UK. This is the biggest boxing country in the world, and it's easy to create superstars," he explained.
When Itauma retorted that Hrgović was fighting in the undercard of an event where their fight is the main event, a sharp response followed: "If I were British, you'd be boxing in the undercard of my fight."
Hrgović also did not spare Itauma's professional record, even though it looks impressive on paper with 14 wins in as many fights. He specifically addressed the two boxers the young Briton had highlighted as valuable scalps. "Dillian Whyte is well past his best, and Jermaine Franklin came completely unprepared. Their time has passed," concluded the 34-year-old from Zagreb.
Hrgović enters the fight with 20 wins and one loss in his professional career. That sole loss came in June two years ago against Briton Daniel Dubois in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a fight for the interim IBF world heavyweight title. Now he has the opportunity to claim the real, main title.
