Daniel Dubois verdict on Moses Itauma vs Hrgovic fight
Moses Itauma's next fight is against Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF heavyweight title on August 29 at London's O2 Arena, live on DAZN pay-per-view. Daniel Dubois, who stopped Hrgovic in 2024, calls the Croatian an "animal" but will not rule out either man winning.
WBO champion Daniel Dubois shared the ring with Hrgovic when cuts ended their 2024 bout before the ninth round, handing Dubois an eighth-round stoppage and a path to becoming a two-time world champion. Hrgovic still lacks a major belt, and now he stands between Itauma and a record that has the boxing world watching.
Key Takeaways
- Moses Itauma's next fight is the vacant IBF title clash with Filip Hrgovic on August 29 at the O2 Arena on DAZN PPV.
- Daniel Dubois calls Hrgovic a tough "animal" but refuses to predict whether Itauma or Hrgovic wins.
- Itauma is favored, though Hrgovic is a major step up from Jermaine Franklin, whom Itauma stopped in five rounds in March.
- DAZN released a Nike-style first-person trailer showing Itauma's fight-week routine before arriving at the O2 by helicopter.
- DAZN reports Tony Bellew has weighed whether Fury, Joshua, or Dubois would be Itauma's biggest 2027 fight.
What Is Moses Itauma's Next Fight?
Itauma and Hrgovic meet next Saturday at the O2 Arena for the IBF strap Oleksandr Usyk relinquished in June. The bout will stream live on DAZN pay-per-view, capping a promotion that has leaned heavily into the 21-year-old's star potential.
Hrgovic's last five professional bouts have come against British heavyweights, giving him a deep read on the UK scene. For Itauma, the clash is a clear step up from Jermaine Franklin, whom he stopped in five rounds when they collided in March.
What Did Daniel Dubois Say About Hrgovic?
Speaking to Frank Warren's Queensberry, Dubois offered a measured verdict on the matchup he knows from the inside. "I've shared the ring with Hrgovic; he's a great fighter. Tough, animal type of guy. Experienced," Dubois said, as reported by Boxing News Online.
Dubois stopped short of naming a winner, saying only that "the whole division – the whole world – is going to be watching." Many observers felt Hrgovic was ahead on the cards against Dubois until the cut stoppage, which adds weight to Dubois' view that Hrgovic may offer Itauma his toughest assignment yet.
Why Does the Hrgovic Bout Matter for Itauma?
A win would make Itauma the youngest world heavyweight champion since Mike Tyson dethroned Trevor Berbick in 1986. That milestone has turned a prospect's step-up into one of the most watched dates on the 2026 calendar, with stakes that extend well beyond a single belt.
Itauma has been installed as a sizable favorite, but Dubois clearly feels Hrgovic is posed to offer the 21-year-old his most challenging assignment thus far. Hrgovic's sole professional defeat came via Dubois' eighth-round TKO in June 2024, yet he remains the kind of seasoned operator who could test whether Itauma's hype holds up under championship lights.
How Is DAZN Building Hype for the Title Clash?
DAZN dropped a one-minute, first-person trailer styled after Nike's iconic football adverts from the 2000s. The clip follows Itauma through an early-morning run, a photoshoot, a press conference, and a Leicester Square movie premiere before he lands at the O2 by helicopter.
The promo ends with the unbeaten southpaw striding toward the ring for what could be the biggest fight of his career. It is a deliberate attempt to sell a generational moment, with DAZN positioning the 21-year-old as a fighter on the verge of history days before the bell.
What Could Follow Moses Itauma's Next Fight?
Before any talk of unification, Itauma must clear Hrgovic on August 29. DAZN has already begun looking further ahead, asking whether Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, or Daniel Dubois would represent the biggest fight for Moses in 2027, with Tony Bellew weighing in on that question.
For now, the division's immediate focus sits on whether Itauma can tame the "animal" Dubois faced — or whether Hrgovic will deny a coronation that British boxing has anticipated for months. More coverage of high-stakes showdowns sits in our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries hub.