Filip Hrgovic stopped Moses Itauma in the ninth round at the O2 Arena in London to claim the world heavyweight championship, delivering a shock defeat to the young British contender.
Itauma had entered the fight as the heavy favourite, bidding to become the second youngest heavyweight world champion in history after Mike Tyson. The 21-year-old had won all 14 of his previous fights and looked on course for victory after knocking down Hrgovic in the second round and controlling much of the early action.
However, Hrgovic remained resilient and held off the pressure. By the end of the eighth round, Itauma was visibly exhausted, allowing the Croatian fighter to capitalise in the ninth by pinning his opponent back until the towel was thrown in to end the contest.
Hrgovic Explains Stoppage Strategy
The victory saw Hrgovic become Croatia's first heavyweight world champion. Speaking after the fight, Hrgovic declared that he knew early on that Itauma would tire, despite acknowledging that he was losing every round prior to the stoppage.
"You're going to be sending Moses back to high school. Let me ask my young friend something. Is chin important? Is chin important?" Hrgovic said. "He didn't seem to think so, but I think he may have answered that question. Look, chin is important."
"He's an amazing fighter. I want to thank him for accepting this fight, to give me a chance to become a new superstar in the heavyweight division," Hrgovic added.
"I'm the present, and he's definitely the future. He's an amazing fighter. He's one of a kind. He's the best I've been in the ring with, but he needs more experience," Hrgovic said. "From the first round, I saw him gassing out. He started fast. I knew he was going to gas out. I knew when my chance came, I needed to push. That is what I did."
Itauma Taken to Hospital After First Loss
Following the ninth-round stoppage, Itauma left the ring on a stretcher and was taken to hospital for medical checks.
Despite suffering his first career defeat, several prominent boxing figures backed the young fighter to bounce back. Former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew posted on social media that Itauma demonstrated great courage during the contest.
"Filip done amazing to ride through the storm! I’ll say this now! Moses Itauma will be world champion! He will learn so much from tonight," Bellew wrote on X. "The biggest thing I’ll take from tonight is just how brave and tough Moses was. We knew Filip was super tough. Tonight we learned Moses is also tough, Once he learns to pace a 12 round bout he’s gonna rule for a while! Filip Hrgovic’s chin needs to studied…"
Reaction to Heavyweight Title Clash
British boxer Chris Eubank Jr also shared his thoughts on the outcome, praising Hrgovic while commenting on Itauma's stamina management.
"Not sure what happened tonight. Moses was fighting well & then gassed out it seems… at his young age this should simply not be happening," Eubank Jr wrote on X. "Time to rethink his training camp moving forward I think. Congratulations to Filip Hrgović becoming the new heavyweight champ."
Mike Tyson remains the youngest heavyweight world champion in boxing history, having won the WBC title in 1986 at the age of 20. Although Itauma missed the opportunity to match that historic milestone, his performance at age 21 leaves him positioned among the division's top names.
