Filip Hrgovic has said the physical effects of his IBF heavyweight title victory over Moses Itauma lasted for several days, after the Croatian absorbed heavy punishment before stopping the British fighter in the ninth round at London’s O2 Arena.
Hrgovic said he was bruised, tired and troubled by headaches after the August contest, which he described as an exceptionally hard fight. He said he had received many shots during the first eight rounds and went home to rest rather than celebrate after claiming the title.
The 34-year-old said he was back in the gym on the Wednesday after the bout, but had still felt the consequences of the contest in the days immediately following it. His assessment underlined the scale of the comeback required to overturn a fight in which Itauma had made the stronger start.
Hrgovic also said he had not watched the full fight back, having seen only short clips online. He said he remained happy and proud of the result, but was still frustrated by the way Itauma had controlled passages of the early action.
Hrgovic accepts Itauma outboxed him early
Hrgovic acknowledged that Itauma had outboxed him in the early rounds. The champion touched the canvas in round two and said afterwards that he had not previously experienced being outboxed in either a contest or sparring during his 20 years in boxing.
Rather than diminish Itauma’s display, Hrgovic repeatedly praised the 21-year-old southpaw’s ability. He said the Briton’s speed and timing made him reluctant to throw more freely, because Itauma was countering his attacks effectively.
Hrgovic also said Itauma combined speed with heavyweight size, which he regarded as a particularly difficult combination to handle. He described his opponent as highly talented and said Itauma had a strong boxing intelligence.
That view is significant because Hrgovic’s victory came after Itauma had built an early advantage before tiring and being stopped in the ninth. Hrgovic said that, on the night, he believed Itauma would have beaten anybody other than himself, while stressing that he had refused to lose.
Champion says Itauma’s response will be decisive
Hrgovic framed Itauma’s next stage as a matter of experience, confidence and mentality rather than physical conditioning. He said Itauma had been physically ready, but argued that recovering from a first professional defeat would be a demanding process.
Those are Hrgovic’s judgments rather than established conclusions about Itauma’s future. The new champion said the defeat could prove a major shock for the Briton and suggested that a failure to recover mentally could damage his career. Conversely, he said Itauma could become extremely difficult to beat if he learned from the loss and retained his confidence.
Hrgovic drew on his own experience of defeat when discussing that possibility. According to The Ring, he considered retirement after Daniel Dubois stopped him on cuts in June 2024. The interview therefore presented Hrgovic’s assessment of Itauma as both praise for the fighter he overcame and a warning about the challenge of returning from a high-profile loss.
For Hrgovic, the immediate competitive ambition is clear. He said he wants to unify the heavyweight division and remain champion for as long as possible. Hrgovic did not announce a confirmed next bout in the interview, although the Guardian reported he said a possible fight with Rico Verhoeven had been discussed.
The title win has consequently left Hrgovic with a new position in the division, while Itauma’s response to his first defeat remains the central unanswered issue raised by their contest. Hrgovic’s account suggests that the ninth-round stoppage should not obscure how severely he was tested before the momentum changed.