Moses Itauma’s first major step-up will double up as his maiden world title fight.
Itauma’s upcoming bout with Filip Hrgovic, which takes place Aug. 29 at The O2 Arena in London, will now have the vacant IBF heavyweight title on the line, Queensberry Promotions announced Tuesday.
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In the wake of Oleksandr Usyk relinquishing his world titles this past June, Itauma was ordered to face Frank Sanchez for the vacant IBF championship. There was, however, a problem: Itauma already had a fight scheduled with Hrgovic. Under IBF rules, fighters are not allowed to take intervening fights after being ordered for world title bouts.
Uncrowned questioned the IBF about how Itauma’s upcoming fight would affect his position with the sanctioning body and was informed that Queensberry indicated to them that Itauma had a clause in his contract allowing him to cancel his fight with Hrgovic if a title opportunity arose, therefore making him available.
This, however, was not necessary.
“We paid [Sanchez] some money,” Queensberry’s Frank Warren told the BBC. “We said whoever wins the fight, you’re not losing out, and you’ll get the opportunity to fight for the title against the winner.”
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According to Warren, Sanchez was paid to step aside from his position and get a shot at the winner of Itauma vs. Hrgovic. With Sanchez no longer in the mix, Itauma and Hrgovic are the two highest-ranked IBF contenders, allowing them to fight for the vacant belt.
The IBF has confirmed to Uncrowned that the winner of Itauma vs. Hrgovic must face Sanchez within six months, with no intervening bouts allowed.
Itauma (14-0, 12 KOs), 21, would be the second youngest heavyweight champion in history — behind Mike Tyson — should he defeat Hrgovic later this month. The Brit was last in action this past March when he impressively stopped Jermaine Franklin in five rounds. Itauma has long been considered the heir to the heavyweight throne, and on Aug. 29, he will finally have a chance to prove that he is just that.
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Hrgovic (20-1, 15 KOs) has won three fights since being stopped by Daniel Dubois for the IBF interim title in June 2024. The Croatian knocked out Dave Allen this past May in Doncaster, making it a trio of consecutive wins over British opposition after he defeated David Adeleye and Joe Joyce in back-to-back fights last year.
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