Filip Hrgovic Stops Moses Itauma in Spherical 9 to Win IBF Heavyweight Title

Filip Hrgovic turned Croatia’s first world heavyweight champion Saturday night time, stopping the unbeaten Moses Itauma by TKO within the ninth spherical at The O2 Arena in London to assert the vacant IBF heavyweight title in one of many greatest upsets the division has seen in years.

Hrgovic, 20-1 with 15 knockouts and a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, entered the battle as a heavy underdog in opposition to the 21-year-old Itauma, who had gone via his skilled profession unbeaten and was extensively thought to be one of many division’s brightest prospects. What unfolded was a nine-round check of conditioning and can that Hrgovic received in essentially the most unlikely trend.

Watch: Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic | FIGHT HIGHLIGHTS – DAZN Boxing

Itauma managed the battle from the opening bell. In the primary spherical he landed a proper hook to Hrgovic’s temple that visibly rocked the Croatian, and within the second he put Hrgovic on the canvas with a left hook. He dominated the next rounds decisively, touchdown a flush left uppercut to the chin within the fifth that appeared, to ringside observers, like a possible ending shot. Hrgovic trailed on the scorecards via eight rounds and, by his personal account afterward, knew it.

“I was losing every round, I was outboxed,” Hrgovic stated after the battle. “I don’t know from where I got energy in that ninth round.”

But Itauma had not beforehand gone past six rounds as an expert, and the unfamiliar distance started to inform. In the eighth, Itauma threw sustained, heavy mixtures in an try to complete the battle, and Hrgovic absorbed them with out taking place once more. The effort left Itauma depleted. When the ninth spherical started, he was unable to carry himself regular, and inside a minute his nook threw within the towel with their fighter defenseless in opposition to the ropes.

“Is a chin important? Chin is important,” Hrgovic stated. “From the first round, I saw him gassing out.”

Itauma required a stretcher to go away the ring, his physique spent reasonably than broken by any single blow. Promoter Frank Warren, talking after the battle, attributed a part of the collapse to a leg harm Itauma had sustained through the bout, in line with Forbes.

Hrgovic additionally credited his opponent. “He’s an amazing fighter,” he stated. “He is the best I have been in the ring with, but needs more experience.”

The victory closes a tough chapter for Hrgovic, who misplaced by eighth-round TKO to Daniel Dubois in a June 2024 IBF interim title battle. He responded by profitable three consecutive bouts in opposition to British opponents, most not too long ago stopping Dave Allen in May, earlier than incomes the title shot in opposition to Itauma.

For Itauma, at 21, the defeat ends an unbeaten skilled run and is available in punishing trend — commanding the battle for eight rounds earlier than his stamina gave out solely. Hrgovic, as the brand new IBF champion, now steps right into a heavyweight panorama that may require him to defend in opposition to the division’s main contenders.