Filip Hrgovic Stops Moses Itauma in Round Nine to Claim IBF Heavyweight Title

Filip Hrgovic forced Moses Itauma’s corner to throw in the towel in the ninth round, claiming the vacant IBF world heavyweight title at a sold-out O2 Arena in London and becoming the first Croatian world heavyweight champion in history.

Itauma entered the night with the chance to become the second-youngest world heavyweight champion ever, trailing only Mike Tyson in divisional history. Legends including Prince Naseem Hamed were ringside to witness what many expected to be a star-making performance from the British prospect. The belt itself was made available after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his titles earlier this year.

Itauma Starts Fast, Hrgovic Finds His Feet

A heated build-up boiled over at the weigh-in when the two fighters got physical, and that aggression carried into the opening rounds. Itauma wasted no time displaying his speed and power. Hrgovic survived the first round but was dropped early in the second by a shot to the top of the head that sent him to the canvas.

Following in the footsteps of Anthony Joshua, who won that same belt at that same venue to launch his own heavyweight reign, Itauma looked in control. The pace slowed in the third, giving the Croatian room to settle and work his way back into the contest.

Itauma had only been taken past the second round twice before this fight. He shifted through the gears again after landing a big left hook that visibly shook Hrgovic, and opened a cut on the Croatian during the fourth.

Hrgovic Turns the Tide

The fifth round marked a shift. Hrgovic began to land his own shots with consistency, only to walk into a massive uppercut in the final seconds that hurt him heading into the second half of the fight.

Late in the sixth, Hrgovic went looking for a stoppage but found his chin tested again instead. He took Itauma deeper than the young Brit had ever been pushed, stretching the fight into the seventh and eighth rounds.

In the closing moments of the eighth, Itauma pressed for a finish but visibly faded as Hrgovic responded with pressure of his own. The Croatian was clearly carrying damage from sustained body work over eight rounds, yet pushed the pace for the first time in the fight.

Corner Throws the Towel in Round Nine

Itauma’s exhaustion, built up from repeatedly hunting a stoppage, left him exposed in the ninth. Hrgovic took full advantage, applying enough pressure to prompt Itauma’s corner to throw in the towel and end the contest.

Read also: Itauma vs Hrgovic: Fighters and Pundits Back Itauma to Claim IBF Heavyweight Title

The result delivers Hrgovic the IBF heavyweight title and writes his name into the record books. For Itauma, the defeat is a significant setback but one that arrives early enough in his career to learn from. Stay with TipsGG for full coverage of the heavyweight division as the fallout from this fight develops.