# 'My body shut down': Itauma opens up on Hrgovic defeat Source: SportsBriefly (https://sportsbriefly.com) Canonical URL: https://sportsbriefly.com/en/article/my-body-shut-down-itauma-opens-up-on-hrgovic-defeat-mvb8nb2o Section: Boxing (https://sportsbriefly.com/en/boxing) Author: SportsBriefly Language: en Published: 2026-10-16T17:25:15.16+00:00 Updated: 2026-10-16T17:25:15.273143+00:00 > Moses Itauma has spoken publicly for the first time about the ninth-round stoppage loss to Filip Hrgovic, admitting he dominated the fight until exhaustion took over — and vowing to return in January. ## TL;DR - Moses Itauma suffered the first defeat of his career — amateur and professional — when Filip Hrgovic stopped him in the ninth round of their IBF heavyweight title tilt in August. - Itauma had won all eight rounds on two scorecards (all but the seventh on the third) before his gas tank emptied late in the eighth. - Speaking for the first time at a gym launch in Chatham, he said his body 'started shutting itself down' and that it took a long time to accept. - He is set to return in January against an established name; an immediate Hrgovic rematch is off as the Croatian must fulfil his IBF mandatory against Frank Sanchez. ## Key points - Itauma was stopped in the ninth round of the IBF heavyweight title fight against Hrgovic in August at The O2 Arena. - He had dominated the first eight rounds and banked a 10-8 second round when Hrgovic's glove touched the canvas. - First public comments came at the launch of Club Eight 3 gym in Chatham; he said he 'couldn't accept' the defeat for a long time. - Key quotes: 'my body just started shutting itself down'; 'the third round I've ever lost in my boxing career'; 'I was at an arm's length away from so much greatness'. - Had hoped for an immediate rematch, but Hrgovic must first face IBF mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez. - Promoter Frank Warren wants Itauma involved in a busy 2027 heavyweight picture featuring Daniel Dubois, the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua winner and Hrgovic. SECTION 1: The first defeat Moses Itauma has finally spoken about the night his perfect record ended. The 21-year-old heavyweight suffered the first defeat of his career — as an amateur and a professional — when Filip Hrgovic stopped him in the ninth round of their IBF heavyweight title tilt in August, and he admits it took some time for him to come to terms with it. Speaking publicly about the fight for the first time at the launch of Club Eight 3 gym in Chatham, Itauma described a contest he was winning comfortably until, as he put it, his body started shutting itself down. He had needed time to accept what happened, he said, but is now ready to reap the benefits of that gripping night in August. SECTION 2: A fight he was winning The Chatham southpaw had been well on top of the action through the first eight rounds against Hrgovic at The O2 Arena. He had won all eight rounds on two of the scorecards and all but the seventh stanza on the other, with his lead boosted further by a 10-8 round in the second frame when Hrgovic's glove touched the canvas. Itauma had looked destined to become the second-youngest heavyweight champion of all time behind Mike Tyson, unloading on Hrgovic at will in the first half of the fight. The 21-year-old had emptied the tank too early, however, and slowly exhaustion took over. When he got off the stool for the ninth, the fatigue was visible, and his durable Croatian foe piled on the pressure for a come-from-behind win. SECTION 3: Coming to terms with it Itauma was candid about the psychological aftermath. For a long time, he said, he could not accept that it had happened — he had been so far ahead on the scorecards, and then suddenly his body began shutting down. He had no worries until about a minute before the fight was stopped; only in the last couple of minutes of round nine did things start to go, with him moving in slow motion while Hrgovic seemed in fast motion. ![boxing photo 1](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792171247673-pi6tdk-sports-2026-10-16-evening-boxing-inside1.jpg) He was proud of the performance regardless. For the knowledge, talent and experience he had at 21, he felt he put on a good show. The defeat, he noted, was only the third round he had ever lost in his boxing career — it simply happened to come for the heavyweight championship of the world. He stood by his decision to aim for greatness by trying to knock Hrgovic out, calling it the experience he needed to have, and insisted that at no point did he feel he was messing up: he kept trying until the end. SECTION 4: No excuses, no retreat Itauma was clear that nothing about the defeat changes who he is. The identity of being a boxer, he said, is still deeply rooted in him — losing once does not change that, and he will be back. He was equally clear that he would change little about his approach despite the first loss in 15 fights. He also paid tribute to the man who beat him. Hrgovic had not surprised him skill-wise, Itauma said, but he was very durable. He noted that most people who approach him on the street tell him it was a good fight, and while he did not get the decision, he felt he had entertained — congratulating Hrgovic on the win. SECTION 5: What comes next Itauma is expected to return to the ring in January as the rebuilding process gets underway, with a comeback bout against an established name lined up. He had hoped for an immediate rematch with Hrgovic, but that is not possible: the Croatian must first fulfil his IBF mandatory obligation against Frank Sanchez. ![Itauma had been well on top of the action in the first eight rounds against Hrgovic](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792171220766-dt5agd-sports-2026-10-16-evening-boxing-inside2.jpg) Promoter Frank Warren wants Itauma fully involved in a busy 2027 for the heavyweight division that will see the likes of Daniel Dubois, the winner of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, and Hrgovic vie for supremacy. Itauma says he will make some adjustments as a result of the loss, but having dominated on the judges' scorecards, the core of who he is in the ring will remain the same. SECTION 6: Perspective at 21 For all the pain of the defeat, Itauma's account was striking for its balance. He tried to do what others could not — he pointed to knocking out Dillian Whyte in the first round, something people said could not be done, and to stopping Jermaine Franklin, who had never previously looked in any trouble — and when the opportunity arose against Hrgovic, he believed the moment was his to do something special. He was, in his own phrase, an arm's length away from so much greatness. At 21, with his first loss now processed and a January date circled, the rebuild begins — with the ambition that defined the Hrgovic fight intact. Mentions: Moses Itauma, Filip Hrgovic, Frank Warren, Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Frank Sanchez, Dillian Whyte, Jermaine Franklin, IBF, The O2 Arena, Club Eight 3 ## Sources - [talksport.com](https://talksport.com/boxing/4648625/moses-itauma-reflects-filip-hrgovic-defeat/) - [leighjournal.co.uk](https://www.leighjournal.co.uk/sport/national/26643505.moses-itauma-ready-next-fight-coming-terms-filip-hrgovic-loss/) - [clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk](https://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/sport/national/26643505.moses-itauma-ready-next-fight-coming-terms-filip-hrgovic-loss/)