Filip Hrvatic became the new world champion in the heavyweight division after defeating Moses Ituma with a technical knockout in the ninth round at the O2 Arena in London. The Croatian boxer secured the IBF title, with the fight ending when Ituma threw in the towel, prompting referee Howard Foster to stop the contest. Hrvatic entered the bout as a significant underdog but managed to turn the tide after surviving a knockdown in the second round.
The opening of the fight brought a surprise when Ituma sent Hrvatic to the canvas with a left hook at the start of the second round, after which the referee counted him out. It was It who dominated the first round, while Hrvatic took the initiative in the third. In the fourth round, the British fighter regained control, with the fifth and sixth rounds being more open with heavy exchanges from both sides. The seventh round was historic for It as it was the first time in his career he had reached that round, although he was already showing signs of fatigue.
In the eighth round, It took full control, but Hrvatic managed to counter in the final seconds. In the decisive ninth round, Hrvatic started aggressively, backing It into the ropes with powerful punches. Before the fight, at the official weigh-in, there was an incident when It pushed Hrvatic, to which Hrvatic responded by slapping him with an open hand. Hrvatic entered the ring to the sound of 'Geni kameni' by Marko Perković Thompson, after the anthems of Croatia and the United Kingdom were played.
The total purse for the fight was around £2.2 million, with a split of approximately 70:30 in favour of It. It's estimated that It's earnings were around £1.5 million, while Hrvatic earned around £700,000, which is approximately £820,000. This is Hrvatic's highest individual earnings in his professional career, surpassing his previous record of £285,000 earned for the fight against Zhang in 2022.
Prior to the fight, It was one of the biggest prospects in world boxing with a record of 14-1, with the chance to become the second youngest heavyweight world champion in history, behind Mike Tyson. Hrvatic has a record of 21-1. At the press conference the day before, Hrvatic shouted: 'And new... From Zagreb, Croatia!'
In addition to the main event, Guido Vianello and Moses Jolly drew, Constantin Ursu defeated Ben Vaughn by stoppage in the eighth round, Nelson Hsu knocked out Thomas Narm in the second round, and Sam Noakes defeated Denys Berinchyk by unanimous decision from the judges.
