Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic fight predictions, odds, undercard, start time and picks for showdown in London

The vacant IBF heavyweight title is on the line as a rising star makes his return to the ring Aug 28, 2026 at 1:48 pm ET • 6 min read In just over three years and 31 rounds completed as a professional boxer, Moses Itauma has looked like the future of the heavyweight division. On Saturday, the 21-year-old phenom will put his sublime skillset to the test in the toughest matchup he has faced to date when Itauma (14-0, 12 KOs) takes on 6-foot-6 Croatian slugger Filip Hrgovic (20-1, 15 KOs) for the vacant IBF title inside London's O2 Arena (2 p.m. ET, DAZN PPV). Four months shy of his 22nd birthday, Itauma has the opportunity to become the second youngest fighter in boxing history to capture a piece of the heavyweight title behind Mike Tyson, who knocked out Trevor Berbick in November 1986 at 20 years and 4 months to capture the WBC championship. But if you're wondering whether Itauma, a native of Slovakia who was raised in Chatham, England, is excited at all about the historical connotations at play, the 6-foot-4 ½ southpaw used Wednesday's final press conference to put an end to the conversation. "I want to first address that I'm not trying to become the second youngest heavyweight champion of the world," Itauma said. "I'm trying to beat Filip Hrgovic and become a heavyweight champion. Second of all, this fight is what I wanted. I think it's a star matchup that I reckon I can thrive on. The pressure, I can thrive on. I'm just waiting to fight."Obviously, the world title is an achievement and an accolade. That's a plus-one but my sole focus is Hrgovic. If I'm not going to beat Hrgovic, it doesn't matter about the world title or the money. My job is just to be victorious on fight night." Save for back-to-back wins in 2023 in just his third and fourth pro fights, with both ending via six-round decision, Itauma has run through the competition like a hot knife through butter. In 2024, he needed just two rounds to finish former title challenger Mariusz Wach. Then, in what was expected to be the first fight in which he faced significant pushback against former two-time WBC interim heavyweight champion Dillian Whyte in 2025, Itauma needed just shy of two minutes to score a first-round TKO. Itauma has been so sensational, including in his highlight-reel knockout of Jermaine Franklin in March, that comparisons to everyone from Tyson to even Muhammad Ali have become unavoidable due to his hand speed, footwork and combination punching. But his journey to his first heavyweight title shot came in a fashion that few expected. Unified and former two-time undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk, 39, struggled in May against boxing novice and former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven and needed to rally for an 11th-round TKO on a very questionable referee stoppage. Usyk then chose to vacate his titles in June, indicating that he wasn't looking to challenge himself against an elite opponent for his next fight, which he said would be the last of his legendary career. Itauma's promoter, Frank Warren of Queensberry, was forced to pay IBF mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez step-aside money, which came with a promise that he would fight the winner of Saturday's bout, in order to secure Itauma's title shot against Hrgovic. But ever since this fight was announced earlier this month, Hrgovic has used every opportunity to mention how unimpressed he has been with Itauma, whom he believes has not yet had his chin or endurance challenged against an elite foe. On Wednesday, Itauma said he was unaffected by Hrgovic's pre-fight words. "At the end of the day, talk is cheap," Itauma said. "It's just schoolboy banter. You have to keep rolling."Whether or not one agrees with Hrgovic's sentiment, there's no question he has the potential to be a handful for the young rising star. A 2016 Olympic bronze medalist for Croatia, Hrgovic has been a durable big man on the elite level who can box and punch. "I'm just telling you facts. I'm not playing any games," Hrgovic said. "I just tell what I am thinking in the moment. I'm not so smart to just play mind games. I can just tell you what I think. I think he's a kid, he's not mature enough. I think I'm the man and a much better age with much more experience. That's it. No mind games."Hrgovic's lone pro defeat came in 2024 while challenging for Daniel Dubois' IBF title when the fight was stopped in Round 8 due to cuts above both of his eyes. But Hrgovic has also claimed important wins against the likes of Zhileli Zhang and Joe Joyce, along with a third-round TKO win in May against David Allen. "Finally, it's my best training camp in the last six years," Hrgovic said. "The last six years, I always had some trouble going on or some pain or injury or illness, some personal problems or some business problems. Every time was some mess before the fights. Now, thanks to my lord Jesus, I had a great training camp. He put everything in place for me. He connected me with great people like my trainer Abel Sanchez. Everything was perfect. I had everything what I haven't had in previous camps." Itauma was largely a man of few words at the final press conference, showing a veteran calmness that belied his youth and inexperience, while choosing to let his performance on Saturday do all the talking for him. That wasn't the case for Hrgovic, who closed the event by delivering a message. "I have had so many fights and no one has knocked me out, only I was stopped by Dubois because of the cuts and I was in terrible shape because of sickness," Hrgovic said. "If people say [Itauma] is the next Muhammad Ali, we will see. I hope I'm not the next Cleveland Williams or Ernie Terrell. We will see what's going to happen but no one ever knocked me out. "God willing, I will smash the kid. I will beat him and I will send him back to high school." Let's take a closer look at the rest of the undercard for Saturday in London with the latest odds from DraftKings before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event below.Itauma vs. Hrgovic fight card, oddsMoses Itauma -900 vs. Filip Hrgovic +550, vacant IBF heavyweight titleSam Noakes -900 vs. Denys Berinchyk +550, lightweightsNelson Hysa -1200 vs. Thomas Narmo +650, heavyweightsConstantin Ursu vs. Ben Vaughn, welterweightsGuido Vinnello vs. Moses Jolly, Where to watch Itauma vs. HrgovicDate: Saturday, Aug. 29 | Start time: 2 p.m. ET (Main card, main event ringwalks expected around 5:30 p.m ET)Location: O2 Arena -- LondonTV Channel/Stream: DAZN PPV | Price: $59.99Itauma vs. Hrgovic predictionEven more than the fight against Whyte in 2025, this matchup against Hrgovic has the biggest potential to teach us everything we still don't know about Itauma yet. Whether or not the fight lasts long enough for us to even get there remains the biggest question, however. Itauma is as high as an 11-to-1 betting favorite, which seems outrageous on the surface given his lack of experience and Hrgovic's overall credentials. But the tape tells a different story and one that should prepare us all for the strong possibility that this fight doesn't make it to the midway point. The combination of Itauma's foot and hand speed continues to be a problem for everyone he steps foot in the ring against. And when you add in his one-punch knockout power and the overall poise in which he operates under, it's going to be difficult to pick against him until someone provides in-ring proof that he isn't destined to become the division's undisputed champion in short order. Pick: Itauma via TKO5