Filip Hrgovic stops Moses Itauma to win the IBF heavyweight title
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fight | Filip Hrgovic vs. Moses Itauma |
| Date | Saturday, August 29, 2026 |
| Venue | O2 Arena, London |
| Result | Hrgovic TKO 9 (corner retirement) |
| Title | Vacant IBF heavyweight — Hrgovic won |
| Records after | Hrgovic 22-1; Itauma's first loss |
Filip Hrgovic became Croatia’s first heavyweight world champion on August 29, 2026, stopping 21-year-old Moses Itauma in the ninth round at the O2 Arena in London to win the vacant IBF title. Itauma’s corner threw in the towel as he was pinned against the ropes.
Itauma had never been past the sixth round in his first 14 professional fights and was trying to become the youngest heavyweight champion since Mike Tyson in 1986. He dropped Hrgovic in the second round, but the 34-year-old Croatian absorbed heavy punishment, took Itauma into deep water and broke him down.
How the fight turned
| Stage | What happened |
|---|---|
| Round 2 | Itauma dropped Hrgovic |
| Rounds 3–6 | Hrgovic survived and began to land to the body and head |
| Rounds 7–8 | Itauma, in unfamiliar territory, slowed |
| Round 9 | Hrgovic trapped Itauma on the ropes; Itauma's corner threw in the towel |
“Look, chin is important,” Hrgovic said afterwards. Promoter Frank Warren said Hrgovic would next face Frank Sanchez, who had won an IBF final eliminator, but Hrgovic said he wanted unification fights with WBO champion Daniel Dubois and WBC titleholder Agit Kabayel.
Our take
This was the upset of the boxing year so far, and a lesson in experience. Itauma is the most talented young heavyweight in the world, and he may still be champion one day, but he had never been asked to win a fight after round six. Hrgovic, whose only loss came on cuts against Dubois, knew exactly how to drag him there.
Itauma loses nothing in our eyes; he will be better for it. Hrgovic, meanwhile, has earned the right to call for Dubois — and when Dubois retained his WBO title against Fabio Wardley in October, Hrgovic was ringside to do exactly that.
Itauma's record before the fight
Moses Itauma, a southpaw from Kent, had been the most hyped heavyweight prospect in the world and had never been past the sixth round in 14 professional fights. Hrgovic was the first opponent to take him past that point, and the result showed how much of professional boxing is learned in the later rounds.