Moses Itauma has been on a quest to win a world title for the last couple of years, but his latest route to a belt could well have been blocked off.
Itauma has shown plenty of promise in the heavyweight division almost from the first moment he emerged. During his earliest years in the ring, when he was still a teenager, he was already talking about hoping to break Mike Tyson’s long-standing record as the youngest ever heavyweight world champion.
Although that didn’t transpire, Itauma has continued to clock up impressive wins and many early stoppages, with all his victories coming inside six rounds, including the tough and previously unstopped American Jermaine Franklin last time out.
Itauma is set to fight again in August against an unnamed opponent, but one said to be in the top 10 of the world rankings.
There had been hopes it could have been against WBA regular champion Murat Gassiev, but he has now chosen another path, as confirmed by IBA Sport, who have revealed he will defend his title against Rio 2016 Olympic gold medallist Tony Yoka in the main event of IBA PRO 19 on Saturday, 11 July 2026 at the VTB Arena in Moscow.
This will be the first fight for Gassiev since he stopped Kubrat Pulev inside six rounds last time out, while Yoka is looking to become the first-ever French professional heavyweight world champion.
Instead, Itauama could well be fighting Croatian talent Filip Hrgovic, who recently stopped Dave Allen in the third round back in early May, but has been previously beaten by Daniel Dubois.
