Moses Itauma expresses confidence in defeating Oleksandr Usyk

Moses Itauma has stated that he is fully confident in his ability to defeat Oleksandr Usyk. The 21-year-old heavyweight prospect shared these views with DAZN ahead of his upcoming title opportunity.

Itauma is scheduled to face Filip Hrgovic on August 29 at London’s O2 Arena. The bout is for the vacant IBF world heavyweight title. If Itauma wins the contest, he will become the youngest heavyweight champion since Mike Tyson defeated Trevor Berbick in 1986.

Following a potential victory, Itauma would be expected to defend his new title against mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez. Sanchez has agreed to step aside for an unspecified amount of money to allow the fight to proceed.

The upcoming fight against Hrgovic serves as a test of whether Itauma can compete at the highest level of the division. Hrgovic has only lost one professional fight, which was a stoppage loss due to cuts in an eighth-round contest against Daniel Dubois in 2024.

Oleksandr Usyk remains the lineal heavyweight champion following his two victories over Tyson Fury in 2024. Although he vacated his three titles, the 39-year-old Ukrainian has indicated that he is approaching the end of his career. His recent performance against Rico Verhoeven, which ended in an 11th-round stoppage in May, suggested he may be nearing retirement.

While a fight between Itauma and Usyk remains a possibility, Usyk is more likely to face Deontay Wilder in the future.