Filip Hrgovic claimed the vacant IBF world heavyweight title by defeating Moses Itauma via technical knockout in the ninth round at London's O2 Arena on August 29, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Itauma, 21, started strong and dominated early rounds, scoring a knockdown in round two and landing effective punches [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. However, his stamina waned in later rounds. By the ninth round, Itauma was swaying and barely able to stand, prompting his corner to throw in the towel and the referee to stop the fight [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The young British contender, who entered undefeated with a 14-0 record including 12 knockouts, was attempting to become the second-youngest heavyweight champion after Mike Tyson but ultimately fell short due to inexperience and endurance issues [1, 2, 6, 3, 7, 4, 8, 5]. He required medical attention after the bout and was taken from the ring on a stretcher to a hospital for observation, where he remained under supervision on August 30 [1, 7, 4, 5].
Hrgovic, 34, is Croatia's first world heavyweight champion. The Olympic bronze medalist came into the fight with a 20-1 record and had only lost once to Daniel Dubois in his pro career [1, 3, 4, 5]. Reflecting on the fight, Hrgovic praised Itauma's talent but stressed his need for experience and pacing in longer bouts. "He is the best I have been in the ring with, but he needs more experience. I knew I was losing the round, but I knew that I had the pace in my favour," Hrgovic said [1]. He urged Itauma not to lose confidence and called the bout a "marathon, not a sprint" [7].
The fight followed a heated buildup marked by verbal exchanges and a push between the fighters at the weigh-in day [1, 5]. The vacant IBF heavyweight title was last held by Oleksandr Usyk [4]. With the belt now around his waist, Hrgovic expressed interest in unification fights against other heavyweight champions [4, 9].
Moses Itauma remains under medical observation after the fight and is expected to receive further updates on his condition soon [7, 4].
