FIGHT RECAP:
LONDON, August 29, 2026 — Moses Itauma had the speed, the early knockdown and the London crowd behind him. Filip Hrgović had the staying power.
The Croatian survived a punishing start, wore down the heavily favored British southpaw and stopped him at 2:27 of the ninth round to capture the IBF heavyweight championship at The O2 Arena.
For the opening rounds, Itauma looked ready to justify every expectation placed on his 21-year-old shoulders. He dictated the distance, fired sharp combinations to the head and body and dropped Hrgović in the second. The veteran was struggling to find an answer to the youngster’s speed.
But Hrgović stayed in the fight. He absorbed Itauma’s best punches, weathered the early assault and gradually began to turn the contest into a test of endurance.
That was unfamiliar territory for Itauma, who had never boxed beyond six rounds as a professional. As his pace slowed, Hrgović found more opportunities to land. The crisp combinations became less frequent. The legs that had controlled the distance began to tire.
In the ninth, Hrgović landed a heavy right hand and drove the exhausted Briton to the ropes. A sustained barrage followed, with little coming back. Trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel as the referee stepped forward to stop the punishment.
Itauma’s bid for a world championship ended with his first hard lesson in the demands of the later rounds. Hrgović, dropped early and outpaced for much of the opening stretch, left London with the belt.
[As of November 2026, Itauma is in training for another shot at the heavyweight Championship early in 2027]