Moses Itauma’s unbeaten streak came to an end on Saturday night as Filip Hrgovic captured the vacant IBF world heavyweight title in a dramatic showdown at London’s O2 Arena. The 21-year-old Briton, who was seeking to become the second-youngest heavyweight champion behind Mike Tyson, saw his aspirations halted when his corner threw in the towel during the ninth round.

The fight drew a packed crowd witnessing a fierce battle between the two heavyweights. Hrgovic, 34, demonstrated resilience and stamina, absorbing intense pressure from Itauma before taking control in the later rounds. As Itauma’s movement faltered and his technique deteriorated, the Croatian contender capitalised, unleashing a sustained series of punches that forced Itauma’s trainer, Ben Davison, to stop the contest.

Following the stoppage, Itauma was stretchered from the ringside area and later transported to hospital with a leg injury, according to his promoter Frank Warren. Observers noted Itauma appeared to be struggling with mobility and pain during the final rounds, which may have contributed to the shift in momentum.

For Hrgovic, the victory marked a significant comeback after his only professional defeat in 2024 to Daniel Dubois in an interim IBF title fight. Following the bout, Hrgovic credited his perseverance to faith, stating in the ring that his strength in the final rounds came from “the holy spirit.” He acknowledged Itauma as a formidable opponent but suggested the young fighter lacked the experience to maintain pace throughout the contest.

Hrgovic’s promoter, Frank Warren, suggested a possible future challenge against Frank Sanchez, who received step-aside compensation to allow Saturday’s title fight to proceed. The newly crowned champion also called for a unification bout and publicly engaged with WBC heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel in the ring. Kabayel, who earned the WBC belt after Oleksandr Usyk vacated it recently, was the mandatory challenger at the time. Usyk likewise vacated the IBF title, which set the stage for Itauma and Hrgovic’s title clash.

Saturday’s outcome crowned Hrgovic as Croatia’s first world heavyweight champion and ended Itauma’s pursuit of making history as one of boxing’s youngest titleholders. The heavyweight division now awaits developments regarding potential unification contests and new challengers.