Moses Itauma to Face Filip Hrgovic for Vacant IBF Heavyweight Title on August 29
Moses Itauma’s upcoming match against Filip Hrgovic has been confirmed as a contest for the vacant IBF heavyweight title. The fight will take place on August 29 at The O2 in London. British fighter Itauma, who holds an unbeaten record of 14 wins with 12 knockouts, is coming off a fifth-round knockout victory against Jermaine Franklin Jr. in March. He now prepares to face Hrgovic, whose professional record stands at 20 wins and 1 loss.
This bout becomes significant as the IBF title became available after former undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk vacated all his belts in June. The WBC, WBA, and WBO titles have since been claimed by other boxers, leaving the IBF belt unclaimed. To facilitate this match, Queensberry Promotions paid Frank Sanchez, the previous mandatory challenger, to step aside, promising him a future fight against the winner.
If the 21-year-old Itauma secures a victory, he will etch his name in history as the second youngest heavyweight champion ever, following Mike Tyson. This would place him ahead of notable champions such as Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali.
Hrgovic, a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, has stated that this match represents the toughest challenge of Itauma’s career. His only professional defeat occurred against Daniel Dubois in 2024, when the bout was halted due to a cut. During a recent pre-fight news conference, Hrgovic expressed skepticism towards Itauma’s rapid ascent in the sport, saying, “I’m not impressed the way the whole world is … I’m a fighter, I look at [it from a] different angle. I never see him in trouble. I never see him get punched or dropped.”
Hrgovic emphasized that true greatness requires more than just skill and speed, asserting that heart, will, chin, and endurance are also crucial attributes. He aims to test Itauma’s mettle in the ring: “I think I will test that. I will test is he a real deal or not. I believe that I will beat this guy and I will become heavyweight champion of the world.”
Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn
