IBF champion Filip Hrgovic told Ariel Helwani that Moses Itauma may be the best he has fought, but that Daniel Dubois, David Adeleye and Zhilei Zhang hit harder.
What we know
- Hrgovic won the IBF heavyweight title in August by stopping Itauma in round nine.
- Hrgovic said Dubois, Adeleye and Zhang all hit him harder than Itauma did.
- Hrgovic lost to Dubois in 2024 when the fight was stopped in round eight because of cuts over both eyes.
Reported, not confirmed
- Itauma is expected back in January 2027; no opponent or date is set. MMA-TV
- WBO champion Dubois says he wants to fight Itauma. MMA-TV
Filip Hrgovic beat Moses Itauma, yet the IBF champion says the young Briton may be the most complete fighter he has met. What he does not rate him as is a puncher.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Hrgovic put it bluntly: "He's maybe the best who I fought. The quickest guy, the best IQ, the best timing and speed." He added that the hardest shots he has taken came from Daniel Dubois, David Adeleye and Zhilei Zhang.
The praise fits how the August fight went. Itauma dropped Hrgovic early and outboxed him for long stretches, according to Boxing News, but Hrgovic outlasted the less experienced man and stopped him in round nine to take the title. Itauma is 21, and that loss was a sharp test of how he handles a heavyweight who survives his best work.
The Dubois comparison has history behind it. In their 2024 fight, Hrgovic was competitive and by some estimations slightly ahead before cuts over both eyes led to a stoppage in round eight. Dubois has since become a two-time world champion, with back-to-back stoppages of Fabio Wardley, and is now the WBO champion. He is 29.
Hrgovic's other names on the list tell a similar story. He outpointed Zhang, controversially, after surviving a first-round knockdown, and beat Adeleye clearly on the cards in 2025.
What comes next is already forming. Itauma is expected back in January 2027, and Dubois has said he wants to fight him. No opponent or date is set for Itauma, and nothing is announced for Hrgovic's first defence.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Hrgovic put it bluntly: "He's maybe the best who I fought. The quickest guy, the best IQ, the best timing and speed." He added that the hardest shots he has taken came from Daniel Dubois, David Adeleye and Zhilei Zhang.
The praise fits how the August fight went. Itauma dropped Hrgovic early and outboxed him for long stretches, according to Boxing News, but Hrgovic outlasted the less experienced man and stopped him in round nine to take the title. Itauma is 21, and that loss was a sharp test of how he handles a heavyweight who survives his best work.
The Dubois comparison has history behind it. In their 2024 fight, Hrgovic was competitive and by some estimations slightly ahead before cuts over both eyes led to a stoppage in round eight. Dubois has since become a two-time world champion, with back-to-back stoppages of Fabio Wardley, and is now the WBO champion. He is 29.
Hrgovic's other names on the list tell a similar story. He outpointed Zhang, controversially, after surviving a first-round knockdown, and beat Adeleye clearly on the cards in 2025.
What comes next is already forming. Itauma is expected back in January 2027, and Dubois has said he wants to fight him. No opponent or date is set for Itauma, and nothing is announced for Hrgovic's first defence.
- Summary
- IBF champion Filip Hrgovic told Ariel Helwani that Moses Itauma may be the best he has fought, but that Daniel Dubois, David Adeleye and Zhilei Zhang hit harder.
- Key points (one per line)
- Hrgovic says Itauma is maybe the best he has faced, for speed, IQ and timing
He says he took harder punches from Dubois, Adeleye and Zhang
Hrgovic stopped Itauma in round nine in August to win the IBF title
Itauma is expected back in January 2027; Dubois says he wants that fight
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- Boxing News | https://boxingnewsonline.net/news/filip-hrgovic-names-the-best-hes-faced/
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Daniel Dubois
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