By Quitano Gonzalez
Thu, Sep 3 2026
Who Should Moses Itauma Fight Next? 3 Heavyweight Options
Saturday, August 29 was supposed to be Moses Itauma’s crowning moment, as the Briton looked to become the youngest heavyweight champion since Mike Tyson captured gold. But the 21-year-old was stopped by Filip Hrgovic in the ninth round as the IBF title slipped through his grasp.
Both men will now go their separate ways, with Hrgovic set to face mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez before a potential contest against either Agit Kabayel or Daniel Dubois. Any of those potential bouts will make for a thrilling watch, with bettors using one of the best sportsbooks recommended by Action Network to place wagers once a fight is announced.
For Itauma, though, the next steps have to be about rebuilding himself after he seemingly ran out of steam during the 12-round contest. A change in strategy is potentially required,
There’s a case to be made that a fight between Itauma and American heavyweight Jared Anderson benefits both parties. In Itauma’s case, it lets him get reps in against someone a caliber below the upper echelons of top-level boxing. For Anderson, it gives him a way back into the scene for the first time since February 2025, when he beat Marios Kollias. He had been due to fight Solomon Dacres in May 2026, just after 'The Real Big Baby' signed with Queensberry, but a torn bicep kept him out of action.
It would certainly make for an intriguing spectacle, particularly after Anderson called the British fighter out on Instagram in the wake of Itauma’s loss to Hrgovic. If Itauma wants to rebuild confidence against a talented opponent before making another push for heavyweight gold, this could be the way to go.
Dave Allen is 13 years older than Itauma and boasts a much bigger resume of fights than his fellow Briton, but both men have lost fights to Hrgovic in 2026. A fight between the two would be a guaranteed sellout in the UK, and also might be a way for Itauma to fine-tune his endurance and decision-making.
Allen is renowned for his chin and ability to absorb punishment, and a fight against Itauma could go the distance, something the latter needs to grow more accustomed to. After his fight against Thomas Carty at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, both Allen and Itauma will have open calendars, so a fight could potentially be made for late 2026 or early 2027.
Recent fights have not been kind to Joe Joyce, another man Hrgovic beat on his path to IBF gold. He has lost four of his last five, only beating Kash Ali since 2024, and is most recently coming off a loss to Artem Suslenkov in July.
Now 40 years old, ‘The Juggernaut’ is at the end of his career and is perhaps not the same test he might have posed Itauma in his prime. The 21-year-old himself might also want to test himself against someone in his prime rather than someone approaching retirement, but the goal should be rebuilding confidence, and a contest against Joyce to ease his way back into the win column could be a welcome option for Itauma’s camp.
Both men will now go their separate ways, with Hrgovic set to face mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez before a potential contest against either Agit Kabayel or Daniel Dubois. Any of those potential bouts will make for a thrilling watch, with bettors using one of the best sportsbooks recommended by Action Network to place wagers once a fight is announced.
For Itauma, though, the next steps have to be about rebuilding himself after he seemingly ran out of steam during the 12-round contest. A change in strategy is potentially required,
Jared Anderson
There’s a case to be made that a fight between Itauma and American heavyweight Jared Anderson benefits both parties. In Itauma’s case, it lets him get reps in against someone a caliber below the upper echelons of top-level boxing. For Anderson, it gives him a way back into the scene for the first time since February 2025, when he beat Marios Kollias. He had been due to fight Solomon Dacres in May 2026, just after 'The Real Big Baby' signed with Queensberry, but a torn bicep kept him out of action.
It would certainly make for an intriguing spectacle, particularly after Anderson called the British fighter out on Instagram in the wake of Itauma’s loss to Hrgovic. If Itauma wants to rebuild confidence against a talented opponent before making another push for heavyweight gold, this could be the way to go.
Dave Allen
Dave Allen is 13 years older than Itauma and boasts a much bigger resume of fights than his fellow Briton, but both men have lost fights to Hrgovic in 2026. A fight between the two would be a guaranteed sellout in the UK, and also might be a way for Itauma to fine-tune his endurance and decision-making.
Allen is renowned for his chin and ability to absorb punishment, and a fight against Itauma could go the distance, something the latter needs to grow more accustomed to. After his fight against Thomas Carty at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, both Allen and Itauma will have open calendars, so a fight could potentially be made for late 2026 or early 2027.
Joe Joyce
Recent fights have not been kind to Joe Joyce, another man Hrgovic beat on his path to IBF gold. He has lost four of his last five, only beating Kash Ali since 2024, and is most recently coming off a loss to Artem Suslenkov in July.
Now 40 years old, ‘The Juggernaut’ is at the end of his career and is perhaps not the same test he might have posed Itauma in his prime. The 21-year-old himself might also want to test himself against someone in his prime rather than someone approaching retirement, but the goal should be rebuilding confidence, and a contest against Joyce to ease his way back into the win column could be a welcome option for Itauma’s camp.