Dave Allen predicts early stoppage for Itauma against Hrgovic

Dave Allen has predicted that Moses Itauma will secure an early knockout victory against Filip Hrgovic. The former fighter, who was stopped by Hrgovic in a third-round finish this past May, believes Itauma possesses superior speed and sharpness.

Itauma and Hrgovic are scheduled to compete for the vacant IBF heavyweight title on August 29 at London's O2 Arena. The belt became available after Oleksandr Usyk relinquished it. Under a step-aside agreement, the winner of this bout is required to defend the title against Frank Sanchez, who earned his mandatory challenger status after a second-round victory over Richard Torrez in May.

Allen suggested that the fight will not last long, noting that Itauma could cause early cuts to Hrgovic. While acknowledging that Itauma's previous wins over Jermaine Franklin and Dillian Whyte might not traditionally warrant a world title shot, Allen views the 21-year-old as a potential major talent.

This matchup represents the most significant challenge in the career of Itauma, whose most notable recent win was a fifth-round stoppage of Franklin in March. Hrgovic enters the contest as a veteran who previously fought Daniel Dubois in 2024, a match that ended in an eighth-round stoppage due to cuts.

If Itauma wins the contest, he will become the youngest heavyweight champion to hold a world title since Mike Tyson won his championship at age 20 in 1986.