Filip Hrgovic Shocks Moses Itauma With Ninth-Round Comeback TKO to Win IBF Heavyweight Title
By Real Combat Media Boxing Editorial Staff
London, England, (August 29th, 2026)–Moses Itauma’s coronation turned into one of the biggest upsets in recent heavyweight history Saturday night, as Filip Hrgovic rallied from a one-sided beating to stop the previously unbeaten Brit in the ninth round at The O2 Arena, claiming the vacant IBF heavyweight title in a result almost nobody saw coming.
How Big an Upset Was This?
By the numbers, this ranks among the largest upsets boxing has produced in years. Itauma entered as roughly a -900 favorite, unbeaten at 14-0 with 12 knockouts, and was one win away from becoming the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in history behind only Mike Tyson. He was fighting for a title after just 31 professional rounds. Hrgovic, by contrast, was a career-long underdog at these odds, a 34-year-old former Olympic bronze medalist whose only previous title shot had ended in a cuts-related stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois in 2024. For eight full rounds, the fight looked exactly like the coronation everyone expected. Itauma dropped Hrgovic in round two, cut him in round four, and had him nearly finished in round eight. And then, with almost no warning, the entire fight turned upside down in the final round. That gap between how this fight looked through eight rounds and how it actually ended is what makes it historic rather than just a competitive loss.
What Happened
Itauma looked every bit the finished product early, working behind his southpaw jab, ripping the body, and putting Hrgovic down with a counter left hand just six minutes into the fight. He continued to pour it on through the middle rounds, opening a cut over Hrgovic’s eye in round four and appearing to have him on the brink in round eight. But the pace Itauma needed to keep Hrgovic down finally caught up with him. He looked spent by the final bell of round eight, and by round nine he had nothing left. Hrgovic, who had absorbed the fight’s punishment without ever being seriously staggered again after the second-round knockdown, recognized the shift and poured everything he had into the champion in trouble. Itauma, exhausted and unable to defend himself, was dropped, and his corner threw in the towel at 2:27 of the ninth round.
“I was losing every round, I was being outboxed. I don’t know where I got the energy,” Hrgovic said afterward. “He’s the best I’ve been in the ring with, but he needs more experience. He gassed out. I knew I had that pace in my favor.” He closed with a message for the young star he’d just dethroned before he ever wore a title: “I’m the present, and he’s definitely the future.” Itauma reportedly needed extended medical attention and was taken from the arena on a stretcher due to exhaustion, though he was not seriously injured.
Full Fight Card Results
Heavyweight (Main Event, Vacant IBF World Title): Filip Hrgovic (21-1, 16 KOs) def. Moses Itauma (14-1, 12 KOs) by TKO, Round 9 (2:27)
Lightweight: Sam Noakes (19-1, 16 KOs) def. Denys Berinchyk (19-2, 9 KOs) by unanimous decision (100-90, 99-91, 98-92)
Heavyweight (WBO Global Title): Nelson Hysa (25-0, 23 KOs) def. Thomas Narmo (14-1, 14 KOs) by TKO, Round 2 (0:36)
Welterweight (British & Commonwealth Titles): Constantin Ursu def. Ben Vaughan by TKO, Round 8 (0:03)
Heavyweight: Guido Vianello vs. Moses Jolly, points draw (76-76)
Cruiserweight: Aloys Youmbi (12-1, 9 KOs) def. Sherif Musah (4-3-1, 2 KOs) by decision (60-54)
Super Featherweight: Arbnor Jashari (10-0, 3 KOs) def. Numan Hussain (8-2-2, 1 KO) by points (59-55)
Super Bantamweight: Zayn Ahmed def. Liam Fitzmaurice by TKO, Round 2 (2:47)
Super Bantamweight: Hassan Ishaq def. Enzo Bahiano Munoz by points (40-36)
Featherweight: Frankie Wood def. Callum Lee by TKO, Round 6 (1:21)
Super Flyweight: Tony Curtis def. Imad Naseeb by points (58-56)
Middleweight: Sam King def. Jack Swallow by points
Watch
Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic Video Highlights
A dedicated post-fight press conference video had not been posted as of publication. RCM will add it here once it’s available.
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