Hrgovic On Breaking Through As Heavyweight Champion

Filip Hrgovic says his upset win over Moses Itauma gave him something he'd been chasing for years: recognition as a legitimate heavyweight champion.

The Croatian told Ariel Helwani that he felt his promoter never pushed him properly because he came from a small country without major TV networks behind him. He was brought in as an opponent for Itauma, expected to be knocked out quickly and forgotten. Instead, he weathered the early rounds and stopped the British prospect in nine.

The new champion dismissed critics who attributed his victory solely to Itauma tiring. "He gassed out for a reason, because I was there, I was hitting him, my presence was there," Hrgovic said, per Bad Left Hook. He pointed to consistent body work and his own toughness as factors that drained his opponent. By his count, Itauma was only up 5-3 on the cards when the fight ended, not the one-sided beating some described.

Hrgovic rated Itauma as the quickest and most skilled fighter he's faced, better than Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce in terms of speed and ring IQ. But he noted that Itauma didn't hit as hard as Daniel Dubois or Zhang. The Croatian admitted the first few rounds were tougher than expected, with Itauma outboxing him early before the tide turned.

The victory marked a breakthrough for a fighter who won an Olympic medal and European title but felt he never received the platform his resume deserved. Now a world titleholder, Hrgovic finally has the spotlight he says was denied to him.