What a dramatic fight in London: Moses Itauma dominated the action for a long time before his strength began to fade. Filip Hrgovic seized his chance and made Croatian boxing history.
The evening at the sold-out O2 Arena was supposed to be Moses Itauma’s crowning moment. Instead, Filip Hrgovic made Croatian boxing history. The 34-year-old stopped the highly touted Brit in the ninth round and secured the vacant IBF heavyweight world title. At first, it looked like Itauma was headed for victory. The 21-year-old started off at a fast pace, repeatedly landing quick and hard combinations on Hrgovic and briefly sending him to the canvas as early as the second round. For long stretches, the youngster was clearly the more active and precise fighter. But Hrgovic didn’t let it get to him. Even heavy blows failed to shake the Croatian for long. While Itauma expended a lot of energy, Hrgovic waited patiently for his opportunity.
That happened in the second half of the fight. Itauma’s pace slowed, his movements became more sluggish, and Hrgovic began to turn up the pressure. By the eighth round at the latest, it was clear that the favorite was reaching his physical limits. In the ninth round, the fight finally turned. Hrgovic relentlessly pounded the exhausted Itauma, who could barely mount an effective response. Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight at 2:27, and almost simultaneously, Itauma’s trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel. For Itauma, it was his first-ever loss—both as an amateur and as a professional. After the fight, he was carried out of the arena on a stretcher due to a leg injury.
Hrgovic (21-1, 16 KOs), on the other hand, celebrated the greatest victory of his career and is the first Croatian heavyweight world champion. After his loss to Daniel Dubois in 2024, he had even considered retiring at one point. Now he’s at the top—and is likely to face Cuban Frank Sanchez next.
Text by Robin Josten