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Filip Hrgovic wins vacant IBF heavyweight title by ninth-round TKO

8/30/2026

20 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Filip Hrgovic captured vacant IBF heavyweight title by ninth-round TKO in London on Aug 29 2026.
Moses Itauma, 21, with a 14-fight record, was stopped after his corner threw in the towel.
Itauma knocked Hrgovic down in round two and received a standing eight count.
Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight when Itauma could no longer defend himself.
Itauma was taken to hospital on a stretcher after the stoppage.

History

Historical Context

The 1982 Ray Mancini–Kim Duk-koo tragedy forced the WBC to cut championship bouts from 15 to 12 rounds, a rule the IBF adopted after its 1983 founding and that helped the British Boxing Board of Control lower injuries by 30 % by 1990. In August 2026, referee Howard Foster stopped Filip Hrgovic’s IBF heavyweight fight in London, echoing that safety legacy.

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Story summary

Filip Hrgovic captured vacant IBF heavyweight title by ninth-round TKO in London on Aug 29 2026.
Moses Itauma, 21, with a 14-fight record, was stopped after his corner threw in the towel.
Itauma knocked Hrgovic down in round two and received a standing eight count.
Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight when Itauma could no longer defend himself.
Itauma was taken to hospital on a stretcher after the stoppage.

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