MOSES ITAUMA will fight for the vacant IBF heavyweight world title against Filip Hrgovic.
The heavyweight belts have all been relinquished by Oleksandr Usyk over the past year.
Moses Itauma facing off with Filip Hrgovic Credit: Getty
But following his controversial win over kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in May, Usyk dropped all of his straps including the IBF version.
Itauma and Frank Sanchez were due to be mandated to fight for the red and gold title.
But promoter Frank Warren negotiated a deal for Itauma to instead challenge Hrgovic on August 29 for the belt.
Warren told BBC Sport : “A lot of people have high expectations of him as I have, by the way.
“We signed him when he was 16. He was an amateur. We sponsored him and he turned professional with us.
“And he’s been amazing and sort of taken the world by storm. This is a big moment for him. But I’m confident he can do it.”
Sanchez, 34, has been paid to step aside but will also be guaranteed a fight with the winner of the O2 Arena clash.
Warren said: “We paid [Sanchez] some money.
“We said whoever wins the fight, you’re not losing out and you’ll get the opportunity to fight for the title against the winner.”
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Eze Chidiebere Paul
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