Derek Chisora says Moses Itauma should avoid facing one heavyweight next

Fillip Hrgovic handed Moses Itauma a surprising and dramatic defeat to capture the IBF heavyweight world title last month, and heavyweight veteran Derek Chisora has warned the young Brit about chasing an immediate rematch.

Itauma’s superior skills were there for all to see during the early stages of the contest as he regularly caught Hrgovic with snapping shots, but the granite-chinned Croatian refused to buckle and absorbed the 21-year-old’s early punishment.

Then, after Itauma had desperately tried to close the show, it became obvious that the young Briton had expended too much energy and that he was becoming exhausted, eventually running out of steam in round nine and being dispatched by Hrgovic in one of 2026’s biggest upsets.

Itauma has since requested a rematch with Hrgovic, but Chisora told the Fight Your Corner Podcast, that he believes a second fight would result in the same outcome, with Hrgovic now knowing Itauma’s weakness and how to exploit it.

“I believe that the outcome would be the same because Hrgovic, I call this the new rope-a-dope, he would march him down and let him tee off. If you don’t go down, sooner or later around round 10/12, you are going to get him and you stop him.”

Despite Itauma’s hope of avenging the first loss of his professional career, Hrgovic is set to move on and make the first defence of his IBF crown against Cuban mandatory challenger Frank Sanchez within the next four months.