British heavyweight Moses Itauma's highly anticipated clash with Filip Hrgovic on 29 August has been elevated to an IBF world-title bout. The vacant IBF belt, previously held by Oleksandr Usyk, will be on the line at London's O2 Arena.
Promoter Frank Warren confirmed the title upgrade, noting that Itauma, 21, has been widely tipped as a future star in heavyweight boxing. Itauma boasts an impressive record of 14 professional victories, including 12 knockouts.
Initially, Itauma was ordered to negotiate with Cuban Frank Sanchez for the vacant title. However, Sanchez has agreed to step aside and will instead face the winner of the Itauma-Hrgovic fight. Warren stated that Sanchez was compensated for this arrangement.
Itauma has recently showcased his power with a fifth-round stoppage of American Jermaine Franklin in March and a first-round knockout of Briton Dillian Whyte in August 2025. Hrgovic, a 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, has 20 professional wins and stopped Briton Dave Allen in May.
A victory for Itauma could pave the way for an all-British unification fight in 2027 against the winner of the Daniel Dubois-Fabio Wardley rematch, which is set for October. Warren suggested such a fight could take place at Wembley Stadium for two world titles.
If Itauma wins, he could become the second-youngest British boxer in the modern era to secure a professional world title. He will be 21 years and 244 days old on fight night, slightly older than Prince Naseem Hamed was when he won a world title in 1995.