Itauma aims for heavyweight history against Hrgovic at the O2
Moses Itauma will step into the ring at London's O2 Arena on Saturday with the vacant IBF heavyweight title on the line against Filip Hrgovic, as the 21-year-old Briton attempts to become the second-youngest world heavyweight champion in history, behind Mike Tyson.
Itauma, a southpaw from Chatham, brings an unblemished record of 14 wins, 12 by knockout, to his 15th professional fight. His promoter, Frank Warren, has been unequivocal in his belief that the young fighter is something special, comparing him to former British great Naseem Hamed.
"Look, Naz was a one-off, unbelievable, marmite personality for some people. You loved him, you hated him, but one thing's for sure, he was exciting to watch and it's the same thing with Moses," Warren said on a call with British media earlier this month.
Warren, who has guided Itauma since the fighter was 16, said the young man has never been in a dull contest. "You've not seen Moses in a boring fight – not once. He gets in that ring, you can feel the anticipation, the electricity in the air. You can feel everybody on the edge of their seats waiting to see what he's going to do," he added.
Itauma narrowly missed out on the record for the youngest British world champion, held by Naseem Hamed, by just two months. But Warren dismissed any concern about that, pointing to the quality of Itauma's performances.
"What I've seen of Moses up to now and the calibre of the fighters he's beaten, I know who the fighters are and some obviously may not have been the fighters they were a couple of years ago, but having said that, that's the same for all fighters coming through," Warren said. "It's how you win, how you go about your business, and the way he's been fighting and the way he goes about his craft and applies his trade is far in front of anybody I can think of at his age."
Hrgovic brings experience and power
Hrgovic, a 34-year-old Croatian veteran, carries a 20-1 record with 15 knockouts. His only defeat came against Daniel Dubois, who recently captured the WBO heavyweight title by dethroning Fabio Wardley in May, with a rematch expected in October.
The fight carries a sense of symmetry for Itauma, who, like Anthony Joshua in 2015, is attempting to claim the IBF belt in his third year as a professional at the O2 Arena. Joshua won the title in his 16th fight at the age of 26 at the same venue.
Warren acknowledged the challenge ahead. "And it's a tough fight. I hope he wins it. I believe he can win it. If he doesn't, it's part of his education. I do believe he can win it, but I don't see this as being an easy job by any means," he said.
The IBF title became vacant after Oleksandr Usyk relinquished his belts. Itauma had already agreed to fight Hrgovic, and Sanchez, a potential opponent, accepted a step-aside deal that guarantees him a shot at the winner.
Mayer and Cameron meet in unification clash
The heavyweight bout headlines a double-header that also features Mikaela Mayer and Chantelle Cameron colliding in a three-belt light-middleweight unification fight at BP Pulse Arena in Birmingham.
Mayer, an American, holds the WBA and WBC titles, while Cameron, a Briton, owns the WBO belt. Both fighters are aiming to move a step closer to becoming undisputed champion.
The Birmingham undercard includes a strong female lineup, with unified lightweight champion Caroline Dubois defending her WBC and WBO titles against Amelia Moore, and former three-weight world champion Terri Harper also in action.
Itauma's rapid rise
Itauma has been earmarked for greatness since his teenage years, sparring seasoned professionals while still at school. Warren took notice after seeing the schoolboy hold his own against one of his heavyweights and began sponsoring him before eventually signing him to Queensberry as a professional.
"Look, that's what we do as promoters and we invest in fighters that we believe in. We've been investing in Moses since he was 16. It's not something overnight, he's been with us now for coming up to his sixth year since he signed with us and this has all been part of the plan," Warren said.
The 21-year-old's two biggest wins to date came against Dillian Whyte, who he stopped in the first round in August 2025, and Jermaine Franklin, who he knocked out in the fifth round in March.
How to follow
Live text commentary of both cards will begin at 19:30 BST on the BBC Sport website and app. Fight week coverage can also be followed through the 5 Live Boxing podcast.