Heavyweight Shock: Filip Hrgovic Stuns Moses Itauma to Win IBF World Title

Filip Hrgovic has pulled off one of the biggest heavyweight upsets of the year, stopping Moses Itauma in the ninth round at London’s O2 Arena to win the vacant IBF world heavyweight title.

The result was a dramatic turnaround. Itauma had controlled most of the fight, dropped Hrgovic in the second round and appeared to be cruising toward the biggest victory of his young career. But the 21-year-old eventually ran out of energy, and Hrgovic took full advantage.

The referee, Howard Foster, stopped the fight in the ninth round as Itauma struggled to defend himself against the ropes. His trainer, Ben Davison, also threw in the towel almost simultaneously.

The victory makes Hrgovic the first Croatian to win a world heavyweight title.

Itauma looked in control early

Itauma started exactly as many expected.

The 21-year-old British prospect used his speed, combinations and power to keep Hrgovic under pressure. In the second round, he knocked the Croatian down and continued to pile on the punches.

For much of the fight, Hrgovic struggled to match Itauma's pace. The judges had Itauma comfortably ahead after eight rounds, according to multiple reports.

But Hrgovic had something Itauma had not really been forced to deal with in his professional career: a fighter who could absorb his best shots and keep coming.

Itauma had stopped 12 of his previous 14 opponents and had never fought beyond the sixth round. Against Hrgovic, the pace eventually caught up with him.

Everything changed in the ninth

By the later rounds, Itauma was visibly tiring.

Hrgovic began finding more openings and turned the pressure around. In the ninth, he landed heavily and forced Itauma back toward the ropes. The young Briton's legs were unsteady and he struggled to protect himself as Hrgovic unloaded.

Foster stepped in to stop the contest, with Davison throwing in the towel at virtually the same time.

Itauma was subsequently taken from the arena on a stretcher and transported to hospital for assessment. He was later discharged and has since spoken publicly about the defeat.

For Hrgovic, it was the kind of comeback victory that completely changes the direction of a career.

From underdog to champion

Hrgovic entered the fight as the experienced fighter, but he was hardly the favorite.

Itauma was widely regarded as one of heavyweight boxing's brightest prospects. A win would have made him the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in history, behind Mike Tyson.

Instead, Hrgovic's durability and experience proved decisive.

The Croatian had already suffered one professional defeat, losing to Daniel Dubois in 2024, but he had built a reputation as one of the division's toughest contenders. His victory over Itauma now gives him a world title to go with his Olympic pedigree.

After the fight, Hrgovic praised his young opponent and acknowledged the talent Itauma had shown despite the defeat.

A major setback, but not the end for Itauma

The loss is a huge blow to Itauma's momentum, but it is hardly the end of his story.

He is still only 21 and had entered the fight with an unbeaten professional record and an extraordinary knockout rate. More importantly, he has now experienced something he had never encountered before: a long, physically demanding fight against an opponent who refused to go away.

That experience could ultimately prove valuable.

For Hrgovic, however, the immediate priority is different. He now holds the IBF heavyweight championship and will have to deal with the obligations that come with it.

One thing is already clear: the fighter who was expected to be a stepping stone for Itauma walked out of the O2 Arena as world champion.

And the heavyweight division suddenly looks a lot more interesting.