By Gabriel J Gonzalez
Sun, Aug 30 2026
Hrgovic Stuns Itauma With TKO
Itauma, 21, came in 14-0 with 12 knockouts and a chance to become the second-youngest heavyweight champion after Mike Tyson. He looked like he was going to take it. Then the tank emptied.
How the fight unfolded
Itauma’s speed and southpaw power ran the first half of the fight. He hurt Hrgovic early, scored a knockdown in the second when a left hook put the Croatian’s glove on the canvas, and kept landing the cleaner shots through six and seven. Hrgovic, 34, ate everything. Standing eight-count early. Uppercut at the fifth-round bell. More punishment late in the sixth. He never folded. 
Itauma had never gone past six rounds as a pro. The output caught up. By the eighth both men were spent. In the ninth Hrgovic came forward, landed a heavy right that sent Itauma staggering toward the ropes, and kept throwing. Itauma’s legs were gone. Trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel as referee Howard Foster waved it off at 2:27 of the round. 
Hrgovic said afterward he knew he was losing every round and that Itauma was “the best guy in the division.” He also said the 21-year-old boxed like it was a sprint, not a 12-round fight. Experience and a granite chin decided it.
Itauma was stretchered from the ring and taken to hospital as a precaution. Promoter Frank Warren said he had done something to his leg and was exhausted after a high-pace fight. Queensberry later confirmed he was discharged Saturday night and is home with his family. 
The two had already clashed at Friday’s weigh-in: Itauma shoved Hrgovic off the stage; Hrgovic climbed back up and slapped him.
What it means
Hrgovic is the new IBF champion. Frank Sanchez is the mandatory. Hrgovic has talked about wanting Daniel Dubois or Agit Kabayel instead. Itauma’s first loss will be treated as a lesson in pacing and 12-round conditioning. Plenty of voices around the sport — Tony Bellew among them — still expect him to be a world champion once he learns to stay in a fight this long.
Undercard results (O2 Arena)
• Sam Noakes def. Denys Berinchyk by unanimous decision (100-90, 99-91, 98-92), 10 rounds, lightweight
• Nelson Hysa def. Thomas Narmo by TKO, Round 2 (0:36), heavyweight
• Constantin Ursu def. Ben Vaughan by TKO (doctor stoppage), Round 8 (0:03) — retains British and Commonwealth welterweight titles
• Guido Vianello vs. Moses Jolly — draw (76-76), 8 rounds, heavyweight
How the fight unfolded
Itauma’s speed and southpaw power ran the first half of the fight. He hurt Hrgovic early, scored a knockdown in the second when a left hook put the Croatian’s glove on the canvas, and kept landing the cleaner shots through six and seven. Hrgovic, 34, ate everything. Standing eight-count early. Uppercut at the fifth-round bell. More punishment late in the sixth. He never folded. 
Itauma had never gone past six rounds as a pro. The output caught up. By the eighth both men were spent. In the ninth Hrgovic came forward, landed a heavy right that sent Itauma staggering toward the ropes, and kept throwing. Itauma’s legs were gone. Trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel as referee Howard Foster waved it off at 2:27 of the round. 
Hrgovic said afterward he knew he was losing every round and that Itauma was “the best guy in the division.” He also said the 21-year-old boxed like it was a sprint, not a 12-round fight. Experience and a granite chin decided it.
Itauma was stretchered from the ring and taken to hospital as a precaution. Promoter Frank Warren said he had done something to his leg and was exhausted after a high-pace fight. Queensberry later confirmed he was discharged Saturday night and is home with his family. 
The two had already clashed at Friday’s weigh-in: Itauma shoved Hrgovic off the stage; Hrgovic climbed back up and slapped him.
What it means
Hrgovic is the new IBF champion. Frank Sanchez is the mandatory. Hrgovic has talked about wanting Daniel Dubois or Agit Kabayel instead. Itauma’s first loss will be treated as a lesson in pacing and 12-round conditioning. Plenty of voices around the sport — Tony Bellew among them — still expect him to be a world champion once he learns to stay in a fight this long.
Undercard results (O2 Arena)
• Sam Noakes def. Denys Berinchyk by unanimous decision (100-90, 99-91, 98-92), 10 rounds, lightweight
• Nelson Hysa def. Thomas Narmo by TKO, Round 2 (0:36), heavyweight
• Constantin Ursu def. Ben Vaughan by TKO (doctor stoppage), Round 8 (0:03) — retains British and Commonwealth welterweight titles
• Guido Vianello vs. Moses Jolly — draw (76-76), 8 rounds, heavyweight