Dillian Whyte on Itauma's KO Loss: 'He Thought He Was Invincible'

Filip Hrgovic wrecked the script last month, stopping Moses Itauma in the ninth round to take the IBF heavyweight title and derail one of boxing's most hyped prospects. Itauma, 14-0 with 12 knockouts and ranked #6 at heavyweight, was on course to become the second-youngest heavyweight champ in history behind Mike Tyson. Instead the 21-year-old ran out of gas after sweeping every round on the cards.

Now Dillian Whyte, the man Itauma blew out in a single round back in August 2025, has weighed in on the collapse. Speaking to iFL TV, Whyte said he wasn't surprised by the way things unfolded, because dragging Itauma into deep water was exactly the plan he'd carried into their own Saudi Arabia meeting. His problem was that the fight never got there.

Whyte's Theory

The 31-4 veteran (21 KOs) went further, arguing that beating him so easily may have planted the seed of Itauma's downfall. Whyte suggested that the quick finish convinced the youngster he was invincible, that he didn't need to train or prepare the right way, and that he could steamroll everyone the way he'd steamrolled 'The Body Snatcher.'

It's a self-serving angle, sure. But it lands differently when you look at how the Hrgovic fight actually played out. Itauma wasn't outboxed or caught cold. He was ahead on every scorecard and then simply emptied the tank. Exhaustion, not a single big shot, is what did it in round nine.

That's the danger with a knockout artist who's finished 12 of his 14 opponents and rarely needed the later rounds. Championship distance is a different animal, and Itauma got a brutal introduction to it against a durable, experienced Croatian who was happy to make him work.

What's Next for Whyte

Whyte, meanwhile, hasn't fought since Itauma flattened him and needs a way back. He's being linked to a Zuffa Boxing return against fan-favourite Johnny Fisher, who sits at 14-1 (12 KO) and is slated to face Michael Pirotton at Zuffa Boxing 11. An all-British heavyweight scrap between the two would give Whyte a marketable fight and Fisher his stiffest test yet.

As for Itauma, the loss stings but hardly ends him. At 21 with a 14-0 ledger and a genuine claim to elite power, he has time to fix the one thing that actually beat him: himself.