Alexander Usik, the former undisputed heavyweight champion, publicly reacted to the result of the vacant IBF title fight between Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic. In his official account on the social network X, the Ukrainian called the dramatic outcome of the bout "yet another reminder of how unpredictable boxing can be," emphasizing that "anything can happen the moment you step into the ring." Usik's statement came against the backdrop of the fact that it was he who vacated his championship belts in June of this year, making the IBF title vacant.
Bout progression: from dominance to a rout in three minutes
The fight for the vacant IBF heavyweight belt unfolded in a way few had foreseen. Moses Itauma started the bout confidently and, according to the judges' scorecards, was taking all three-minute rounds through eight rounds. However, in the ninth round the situation changed dramatically: Filip Hrgovic pushed his opponent to the ropes and unleashed a powerful attack. The Croatian landed a series of precise blows to the British fighter's head, after which the referee stopped the contest. The result — a technical knockout victory for Hrgovic and the capture of the vacant IBF title.
Personal messages: congratulating the winner and supporting the loser
In his message, Usik separately congratulated Hrgovic on the win, noting that the Croatian had put in a "big fight." At the same time, the Ukrainian did not overlook Moses Itauma, for whom this bout became the first defeat of his professional career. "Moses, this is not the end. Come back stronger and keep moving forward. Your journey is only just beginning!" — wrote Usik, thereby supporting the 20-year-old Briton after the sensational reversal.
Records and the historic significance of the victory
For Filip Hrgovic, this win became the 21st of his professional career (16 by stoppage with one loss), and most importantly — he entered the history books as the first heavyweight world champion from Croatia. Moses Itauma, by contrast, suffered his first professional defeat: his record now stands at 14 wins and 1 loss, of which 12 wins came by knockout. Thus, the bout became a turning point in both boxers' careers — for one it cemented his status as the new champion, while the other received a painful, but, in Usik's words, not final lesson.
Contradictory data
The concluding part of the original source (Sport RBC.UA) contains the phrase: "Earlier, Moses Itauma commented for the first time on the sensational defeat of Filip Hrgovic." This wording contradicts the actual result of the fight, in which Hrgovic won by technical knockout. Presumably, an editorial error was made in the text, and it was meant that Itauma commented on his own defeat or the result of the bout with Hrgovic. Until clarifications are received from the source's editorial team, this line cannot be interpreted unambiguously.
Usik's reaction to the outcome of the fight confirms his status not only as a former champion but also as one of the most influential voices in the heavyweight division. His words about the unpredictability of boxing and his support for the young Itauma after his first defeat became a topic of discussion in the boxing community for several days after the bout.
