--- title: "Hrgovic Ahead of His Fight with Itauma: “I Have Nothing to Lose — the Whole World Has Already Written Me Off”" description: "Filip Hrgovic, ahead of his fight with Moses Itauma on August 29 in London, said that the underdog status takes the pressure off him, while a loss could be a signal to end his career. The Croatian insists he is in the best shape of his 20 years in boxing." date: 2026-08-25T10:52:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/hrgovic-ahead-of-itauma-fight-i-have-nothing-to-lose tags: [boxing, filip-hrgovic, moses-itauma, heavyweight, o2-arena, dazn, frank-warren] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Hrgovic Ahead of His Fight with Itauma: “I Have Nothing to Lose — the Whole World Has Already Written Me Off” ![Filip Hrgovic at the DAZN Global Next Trade press conference ahead of his fight with Ituma, alongside Frank Warren](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/25/hrgovich-pered-boem-s-itaumoym-mne-nechego-terjat/hrgovich-pered-boem-s-itaumoym-mne-nechego-terjat-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Hrgovic acknowledged the underdog status in the fight with Itauma but said it only takes the pressure off him - The bout will take place on August 29, 2026, at the O2 Arena in London - The Croatian admitted that a loss could be a signal to end his career, but claims he is in the best shape in 20 years - Hrgovic has 20 wins in 21 fights (15 by knockout), with WBC and IBF International titles Croatian super heavyweight Filip Hrgovic, ahead of his bout against unbeaten Briton Moses Itauma, scheduled for August 29 at the O2 Arena in London, spoke candidly about his chances and his attitude toward the underdog tag. According to Ring Magazine, as cited by Sport RBC.UA, the 34-year-old boxer acknowledged that the global boxing community sees him as the outsider in this matchup, yet he himself is convinced of his own victory and emphasizes that no one expects a surprise from him, which, in his words, only frees him from unnecessary pressure in the ring. ### The Underdog Tag as a Tactical Advantage “If I lose, the whole world has already written me off anyway. Everyone expects him to win, so I have especially nothing to lose,” Hrgovic stated. In his own words, he is 34 years old, ranks among the top five heavyweights in the world, and is currently staging one of the most significant fights in the division. “I am proud of myself and I believe I beat this one,” the Croatian added, referring to Itauma. This approach to the pre-fight narrative allows the experienced boxer to shed the psychological load that a favorite usually carries and to act in the ring with maximum freedom. ### “It’s Like a War”: Hrgovic on the Ruthlessness of the Boxing Business Answering questions about his long path in professional boxing, Hrgovic stressed that years of tough trials have forged him. “This is a tough sport. Many people get lost because of promoters, managers, contracts and the ruthlessness of this game. This is not even a sport. It’s like a war. Like a battle. I have been through all of it and I am still in a great position,” the Croatian summed up. His words were delivered at a press conference, where promoter Frank Warren was also present, his name displayed on a placard in front of the speaker, while DAZN branding — the exclusive broadcaster of the upcoming event — dominated the backdrop. ### A Possible Career Finale and Best Shape in 20 Years Hrgovic did not hide that a loss to Itauma could serve as a clear signal for him to end his professional career. At the same time, he categorically refutes the notion that he is on the decline: in his claim, he currently feels in the best physical condition of his entire 20 years in boxing. The Croatian began competing in the professional division in 2017. After nearly nine years, he has 21 fights to his name, winning 20 of them, 15 by knockout. In 2018, Hrgovic captured the WBC championship belt, and in 2020 he added the IBF International title to his collection. His only professional defeat came in 2024, when he lost to Daniel Dubois. ### Context of the Bout and the Opponent’s Expectations The Hrgovic–Itauma fight will be the main event of the August 29 boxing card at the O2 Arena in London. For the 23-year-old Briton, who had not known defeat before, this bout is, in his own words, the toughest of his career. For Hrgovic, by contrast, it is a chance to prove that his status as one of the top five heavyweights on the planet is no accident, and that age is not a death sentence in the super heavyweight division. Tickets for the event, as indicated on the arena board, were sold through the AXS.com platform, while the broadcast will be available to viewers via the DAZN platform. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [With Faith in Victory: Hrgovic Compared the Fight Against Itauma to a War](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/boxing/viroyu-peremogu-hrgovich-porivnyav-biy-proti-1787654067.html) - Основной источник цитат Хрговича, статистики карьеры и деталей боя. Ссылка на Ring Magazine. - [Itauma on the Fight with Hrgovic: This Is My Toughest Bout](https://www.ua-football.com/sport/box/1782199954-itauma-o-boe-s-hrgovichem-yeto-moy-samyy-slozhnyy-poedinok.html) - Подтверждает контекст поединка и реакцию Итаумы. Использовано для упоминания позиции соперника. - [Alexander Usik Named the Winner of the Itauma–Hrgovic Fight](https://www.sports.kz/news/aleksandr-usik-nazval-pobeditelya-boya-itauma-hrgovich) - Дополнительный контекст: прогноз Усика по исходу боя. Не использован в тексте напрямую, но подтверждает актуальность события. - [August Boxing Schedule: Romero–Teófimo, Itauma–Hrgovic, Two Lightweight Championship Fights](https://www.sports.ru/boxing/blogs/3428214.html) - Подтверждает дату и место проведения боя в рамках августовского расписания. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: When and where will the Hrgovic–Itauma fight take place? **A:** The bout is scheduled for August 29, 2026, at the O2 Arena in London. The broadcast will be available on the DAZN platform. ### Q: What is Hrgovic’s professional record? **A:** Filip Hrgovic has 21 professional fights: 20 wins (15 by knockout) and 1 loss (to Daniel Dubois in 2024). He is a former WBC and IBF International super heavyweight champion. ### Q: Why is Hrgovic considered the underdog in this fight? **A:** The global boxing community names Moses Itauma — the young, unbeaten Briton — as the favorite. Hrgovic is 34 years old, and bookmakers and experts back his opponent. The Croatian himself acknowledges this but says the outsider status only frees him from pressure. ### Q: What did Hrgovic say about possibly ending his career? **A:** The Croatian candidly admitted that a loss to Itauma could be a clear signal for him to end his professional career. At the same time, he claims he is currently in the best physical shape of his entire 20 years in boxing.