British-Nigerian heavyweight contender Moses Itauma is set for an August showdown at London’s O2 Arena, with Filip Hrgovic emerging as the frontrunner to be his next opponent — provided the Croatian comes through his Saturday night bout against Dave Allen in Doncaster.
Hrgovic takes on Allen at the Keepmoat Stadium live on DAZN, with Itauma expected to be ringside watching the outcome.
Should Hrgovic win, a major fight against the 21-year-old southpaw awaits him in August. Should Allen pull off an upset, the Englishman could find himself in contention for the summer slot instead.
Itauma, who is ranked number one by both the WBA and WBO, number three by the WBC and number five by the IBF, is unbeaten in 14 fights with 12 stoppages. In his last three outings, he has stopped Mike Balogun in two rounds, Dillian Whyte in one round and, in March, became the first man to stop the durable Jermaine Franklin — a feat neither Anthony Joshua nor Whyte had previously managed.
Several other names had been linked with the August slot, including current WBA regular champion Murat Gassiev and former unified ruler Andy Ruiz, but Hrgovic has emerged as the preferred option. The thinking, in part, is that the experienced Croatian can give Itauma the rounds he needs ahead of what is expected to be a tilt at a world title within the next year.
Hrgovic, 19-1 with 14 stoppages, brings considerable amateur and professional pedigree to the table. His only professional defeat came against Daniel Dubois in Saudi Arabia in June 2024, and he has since bounced back with wins over Joe Joyce and David Adeleye.
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