Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic | DAZN - 29 August 2026

[Ruthless-RKO]

‘He might actually be more fragile than I thought’: Moses Itauma speaks on title fight with Filip Hrgovic

Moses Itauma looks to become a world champion this weekend at only 21 years old.

Moses Itauma spends the final few days of training camp staying sharp as he prepares to contend for a vacant IBF heavyweight world title against Filip Hrgovic this weekend, and speaking to DAZN about the fight and how things have been coming along, Itauma continues to showcase his quiet confidence. Here’s some of what he had to say below.

Itauma on training camp and preparing for this Hrgovic fight
“Preparation is going well. It’s going as good as it can be. Just trying to stay away from injuries and getting sparring partners is the most difficult thing.

“We started off this camp in Marbella and nobody really had fight dates coming up…It’s more of a mental break because you’re in the same ol’ gym in Harlow. Same four walls, it just gets boring and repetitive. So, having a little bit of a switch up.”

On what he makes of Hrgovic after seeing him in person
“I don’t think he’s as mentally assertive in himself as he comes across. I think he might actually be more fragile than I thought before. I thought beforehand he might’ve been a bit more assertive of himself and sure of himself. I don’t think that he is, so much.”

On his plan for Hrgovic
“There’s two kinds of fights that we’ve kind of been working on and we’ve been looking at for Filip Hrgovic and hopefully on fight night you can see the tendencies, the work that goes on outside the ring because I feel like what people tend to forget is like although I am a smart boxer, I can also display other things. So, when it comes to fight night, it should be the full ticket.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

'Get ready for a big fight': Berinchyk issues warning to Noakes

Former WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk returns to action on Saturday for the first time since losing the title to Keyshawn Davis in February 2025.

Olympic silver medalist Berinchyk will look to make up for lost time in an intriguing matchup with Sam Noakes on the Moses Itauma-Filip Hrgovic undercard at London's O2 Arena.

"He is a very strong and experienced fighter," Berinchyk (19-1, 9 KOs) told The Ring.

"He recently fought for a world title but lost. Now he wants to come back and is fighting me ... I know what kind of opponent I'm facing, so take this seriously. I'm looking forward to meeting him after such a long break."

Despite not having fought in 18 months, Berinchyk is unbothered that he'll return in a big fight without the opportunity to shake off any ring rust.

"There is no time for a tune-up fight, and I don't see the point," he said. "So, we are going straight to a higher level."
Although the 38-year-old hasn't been active, he has kept a busy schedule.

"I focused on getting my health back after that fight [with Davis]," he explained. "I had shoulder surgery and spent a long-time doing rehabilitation while also doing a little surgery on my nose.

"During the fight, Keyshawn hit me with his shoulder and broke my nose. I found out just after the fight, when I had it checked upon my arrival home, so I began the treatment. It took quite a long time to recover in general after both surgeries, as I had to get back into normal shape before then starting to build myself up for boxing again."

"At the same time, I spent a lot of time with my family. I have a wife and four children, and recently our daughter Olivia was born in Spain. So, I was also busy with family and everyday things outside the sport."

Berinchyk also volunteers with the armed forces in Ukraine, having done so since their war with Russia began in 2022.

"We are in regular contact and I help with different small things they need, sometimes tyres or drones, sometimes money or other equipment," he said. "They let me know what they need and I do my best to help them. At the moment I'm focused on boxing and preparing for this fight, but am planning to go and see the guys soon."

The upcoming fight with Noakes is a crossroads fight for both, should they look to contend for world titles again.

While Berinchyk is at an advanced age for a professional, he believes victory is imperative but also feels he's got other options across combat sports.

"I have put a lot of work into getting ready for this fight, training since the beginning of 2026 and preparing for my return," he said. "I understand the stakes are very high: either win or it's the end of my professional boxing career.

"But I am also looking at other options. If I can't return to boxing, I could move into another direction...Bare-knuckle fighting, MMA or K-1… I would be happy to start a different fighting career, if that's what happens.

"Anyway, I am working hard to get myself ready for 100 percent. Get ready, Sam. It's going to be a big fight." Noakes (18-1, 16 KOs), The Ring's No. 7 lightweight, worked his way up through the ranks by winning British, Commonwealth and later European titles. The 29-year-old is a dangerous puncher as illustrated in stoppage wins over Lewis Sylvester (TKO 4) and Gianluca Ceglia (RTD 8).

However, he has also shown he can box when needed after outboxing Yvan Mendy and Ryan Walsh over the 12-round championship distance. The Maidstone puncher produced a valiant effort in defeat by Abdullah Mason when they met for the vacant WBO title on November 22.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Live fight week presser

[Nightmare Roy]

Anyone else think this could be a bit too soon for Moses? Granted he looks brilliant but i dont think he had many AM fights and he's only had a few pro fights, Herg is pretty good and well seasoned IMO. All seems a bit rushed to me.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Anyone else think this could be a bit too soon for Moses? Granted he looks brilliant but i dont think he had many AM fights and he's only had a few pro fights, Herg is pretty good and well seasoned IMO. All seems a bit rushed to me.

Hrgovic has looked too calm.

He’s smiling

He’s probably confident. Very confident

[JamesPhilips]

Anyone else think this could be a bit too soon for Moses? Granted he looks brilliant but i dont think he had many AM fights and he's only had a few pro fights, Herg is pretty good and well seasoned IMO. All seems a bit rushed to me.

Hrgovic has looked too calm.

He’s smiling

He’s probably confident. Very confident

He looks in good shape too. His cuts and lack of speed are a worry though

[jameswilson]

Anyone else think this could be a bit too soon for Moses? Granted he looks brilliant but i dont think he had many AM fights and he's only had a few pro fights, Herg is pretty good and well seasoned IMO. All seems a bit rushed to me.

Hrgovic has looked too calm.

He’s smiling

He’s probably confident. Very confident

A smart tactical fight and if Itauma isn’t as good as what we think then he has it.

We’ve seen our guys over the years not be what we think so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that he wins. Being 7-1 to win via any method and 10/1 to win by KO are very long odds indeed.

[Kilburn]

The unknown with Moses makes it all a fascinating prospect. He obviously looks great dishing it out but what if this time the opponent isn’t phased?

Hrg, as hittable as he is, has bags more experience.

I’m still going with Moses though. The kid may well turn out to have weaknesses but I’m not sure Hrg is the man to truly expose them. Even if Hrg makes it to “deep water” territory, I can’t imagine he’ll have got there in any way unscathed.

[goose 5]

I like Itauma to win early in this bout. If it goes past 3 rounds, I'd be very surprised.

[KiwiRider]

I like Itauma to win early in this bout. If it goes past 3 rounds, I'd be very surprised.

Hrg is a pretty tough cookie. His cuts have stopped fights not his will. The whole point of him as an opponent for Itauma is his durability to give rounds.
But you could be right.
Personally I think old Hrg fancies this

[keithmoonhangover]

Anyone else think this could be a bit too soon for Moses? Granted he looks brilliant but i dont think he had many AM fights and he's only had a few pro fights, Herg is pretty good and well seasoned IMO. All seems a bit rushed to me.

100%. I've said it before, it's like Price vs Thompson.

[joshj909]

Anyone else think this could be a bit too soon for Moses? Granted he looks brilliant but i dont think he had many AM fights and he's only had a few pro fights, Herg is pretty good and well seasoned IMO. All seems a bit rushed to me.

100%. I've said it before, it's like Price vs Thompson.

It could be Dubois Vs Joyce or Haye Vs Thompson

[Nightmare Roy]

Anyone else think this could be a bit too soon for Moses? Granted he looks brilliant but i dont think he had many AM fights and he's only had a few pro fights, Herg is pretty good and well seasoned IMO. All seems a bit rushed to me.

100%. I've said it before, it's like Price vs Thompson.

Could well be, hopefully not, but he's only boxed 30 odd rounds as a pro and he's a kid really.

[Kilburn]

Hrgovic has a lot of excuses for past performances (genuine or otherwise). This is apparently where we get to see the best of him finally at the age of 34. Although when guys like Hrg start talking about their belief that God has made the plan for them and all that, it’s never something that fills me with extra confidence.

I would say, from the outside both probably fancy themselves big here. Maybe Hrg looks at Moses and thinks this kid could never bring the sort of pace, power and toughness that Dubois had in his locker, which was something Hrgovic ultimately couldn’t handle.

Moses might look at Hrg and feel he’s going to have little to no trouble landing bombs on that chin, to significant effect.

I can’t bloody wait to find out.

[Eolaithe]

I made my original prediction for this fight about ten days ago, and I am sticking with it.

DAZN’s pundits have tried hard to over sell the bout as a likely “classic”, much akin to Hagler-Hearns, whilst comparing Moses Itauma to a young, unbeaten, prime Mike Tyson, and claiming he is destined for greatness.

That said, I think Itauma’s team are excellent matchmakers and chosen Hrgovic because he’s the right sort of opponent that is capable of making Moses look devastating.

My prediction is that Moses stops a brave but badly busted-up, one-dimensional, and defensively vulnerable Hrgovic within six rounds.

My main caveat is that much of this opinion has been influenced by the lavish praise bestowed upon Itauma by the media and ex-pros, many of whom are paid by broadcasters to promote their fights.

He also seems to pass the proverbial “eyeball test” (against admittedly limited opposition).

That said, there are still questions about Itauma.

He has limited amateur experience, has boxed only 31 professional rounds, and has so far faced has-beens or journeymen, with the media justifying the hype with sparring stories.

And despite his dominant victory over Jermaine Franklin Jr. being superficially-impressive, no one can deny the American being gun-shy and weighing 24lbs heavier than he was for the Anthony Joshua fight.

I also noticed that Itauma was breathing heavily as he walked back to his corner after the fourth round; and in the second half of the same round, his mouth was open while he was pressuring Franklin.

This raised one rather interesting question: is Itauma simply a natural mouth-breather who quickly switches from nasal breathing after only minor physical effort, or is he a front-runner with a shallow gas tank who may fade badly in the second half of a fight?

[MightyWarrior]

Yeah, it’s intriguing alright, it could be a hugely impressive steamroller job by the young pretender, or it could be a shocking exposure where he runs out of ideas and steam as the big guy refuses to fold.

And if it’s the latter, I can’t remember where we’ve been hearing from so many pros about how this guy is going to be one of the greats ( teddy atlas, Barry jones, Naz ) who is then shockingly beaten early in his career. Errol Christie maybe. Not Price, most knew that guy was vulnerable from the ams.

That said, I do think Moses is going to blast Hrgovic out inside 6.

[Gran Hermano]

I like Itauma to win early in this bout. If it goes past 3 rounds, I'd be very surprised.

Hrg is a pretty tough cookie. His cuts have stopped fights not his will. The whole point of him as an opponent for Itauma is his durability to give rounds.
But you could be right.
Personally I think old Hrg fancies this

His fights with Dubois and Zhang (he lost that for me IMO) especially concern me at the highest level. I think he will wilt eventually

[golden_labrador]

I like Itauma to win early in this bout. If it goes past 3 rounds, I'd be very surprised.

Hrg is a pretty tough cookie. His cuts have stopped fights not his will. The whole point of him as an opponent for Itauma is his durability to give rounds.
But you could be right.
Personally I think old Hrg fancies this

His fights with Dubois and Zhang (he lost that for me IMO) especially concern me at the highest level. I think he will wilt eventually

he's a bleeder

[Ruthless-RKO]

https://britishboxingnews.co.uk/news/he ... -criminal/

Helwani strongly criticised DAZN for charging extra to watch Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.

The event reportedly costs £24.99 in the UK and $59.99 in the US, in addition to a regular DAZN subscription.

"Putting a fight like Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic this weekend behind the pay-per-view wall is actually criminal. That is truly criminal."

"You want people to fall in love with these fighters? You got to make them accessible."

Helwani compared Itauma's situation to Anthony Joshua's career development.

Both reached a major PPV fight in their 15th professional bout, but Joshua had already built a substantial audience through free-to-air and subscription broadcasts before becoming a PPV attraction.

Helwani argues that Itauma, despite being one of boxing's brightest prospects, has not yet been given the same opportunity to build mainstream recognition.

[Nightmare Roy]

https://britishboxingnews.co.uk/news/he ... -criminal/

Helwani strongly criticised DAZN for charging extra to watch Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.

The event reportedly costs £24.99 in the UK and $59.99 in the US, in addition to a regular DAZN subscription.

"Putting a fight like Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic this weekend behind the pay-per-view wall is actually criminal. That is truly criminal."

"You want people to fall in love with these fighters? You got to make them accessible."

Helwani compared Itauma's situation to Anthony Joshua's career development.

Both reached a major PPV fight in their 15th professional bout, but Joshua had already built a substantial audience through free-to-air and subscription broadcasts before becoming a PPV attraction.

Helwani argues that Itauma, despite being one of boxing's brightest prospects, has not yet been given the same opportunity to build mainstream recognition.

Game changed!

[forcefraser]

The odds for a Hrgovic win are tempting. So many questions with this one

1/7 for Itamu seems crazy.

[tony1234]

https://britishboxingnews.co.uk/news/he ... -criminal/

Helwani strongly criticised DAZN for charging extra to watch Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.

The event reportedly costs £24.99 in the UK and $59.99 in the US, in addition to a regular DAZN subscription.

"Putting a fight like Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic this weekend behind the pay-per-view wall is actually criminal. That is truly criminal."

"You want people to fall in love with these fighters? You got to make them accessible."

Helwani compared Itauma's situation to Anthony Joshua's career development.

Both reached a major PPV fight in their 15th professional bout, but Joshua had already built a substantial audience through free-to-air and subscription broadcasts before becoming a PPV attraction.

Helwani argues that Itauma, despite being one of boxing's brightest prospects, has not yet been given the same opportunity to build mainstream recognition.

Everyone knew who Joshua was from the Olympics and the SKY hype, Fury made his name on C5 calling out Price and Bellew but Itauma's profile is lower than a snake's belly. It will take more than posters on a bus to make him a name in this country, should have gone for a terrestrial partner for this one , built it up then go back to PPV's when people know who he is

[Kilburn]

PPV fights have been going for what 30 years in the UK? No good Helwani whining about it now.

Personally I think if Moses does a demolition job on Hrg to win a heavyweight belt, a hell of a lot of people are going to sit up and take notice.

[IRONFIST]

Naz on Itauma https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/arti ... 7ln5v0my3o

Highest rated comment: "Prince has had a lot on his plate recently"

[MightyWarrior]

They just weighed in: Moses Itauma 241.7 pounds, Filip Hrgovic 236.2


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