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Moses Itauma v Hrgović
Saturday, 29 August 2026
View EventLast updated: 18 August 2026.
Heavyweight boxing in 2026 has three champions across the four sanctioning bodies, and the IBF title is vacant as of 18 August 2026. Two of the three champions were promoted into the full title rather than winning a fight for it. Moses Itauma meets Filip Hrgović for the vacant IBF world heavyweight title on Saturday 29 August 2026 at The Arena London.
Who holds the world heavyweight titles in 2026?
Three of the four sanctioning-body world heavyweight titles have a champion as of 18 August 2026, and the IBF title is vacant. Agit Kabayel holds the WBC title, Murat Gassiev the WBA and Daniel Dubois the WBO. No boxer holds all four, so the division has no undisputed champion. One further title, The Ring championship, sits outside those four, and Oleksandr Usyk still holds it.
Dubois won the WBO in the ring, stopping Fabio Wardley in the eleventh round at Co-op Live, Manchester in May 2026. Gassiev made his first defence on 11 July 2026, when he stopped Peter Kadiru in the sixth round.
| Sanctioning body | Current holder | How they got it |
|---|---|---|
| WBC | Agit Kabayel | Promoted from interim champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated |
| WBA | Murat Gassiev | Promoted from regular champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated |
| WBO | Daniel Dubois | Won in the ring, stopping Fabio Wardley (May 2026) |
| IBF | Vacant | Vacated by Oleksandr Usyk on 26 June 2026, to be filled by Itauma vs Hrgović on 29 August 2026 |
Daniel Dubois has beaten three of the other men named on this page. He stopped Anthony Joshua in 2024, he handed Filip Hrgović his only professional defeat, and he took the WBO title off Fabio Wardley in May 2026.
Does Anthony Joshua hold a world heavyweight title?
Anthony Joshua holds none of the four sanctioning-body world heavyweight titles in 2026. He is a former IBF, WBA and WBO world heavyweight champion. The man who holds the WBO belt, Daniel Dubois, knocked him out in London in 2024, in a fight for the IBF title. On the night of Saturday 25 July 2026, Joshua stopped Kristian Prenga in round two, though he was on the floor twice himself in round one.
Does Tyson Fury hold a world heavyweight title?
Tyson Fury does not hold a world heavyweight title in 2026. He is a former WBC, WBO, WBA and IBF world heavyweight champion, and is 36-2-1 with 25 knockouts as a professional. He beat Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand on 24 July 2026, the fight ending by retirement after seven rounds, and won on points against Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April 2026.
As of 18 August 2026, Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury is signed by both sides and targeted for November 2026, live on Netflix. No date has been announced. No venue has been announced. The promoters were still publicly disagreeing about it as of 17 August 2026. Eddie Hearn says Joshua's signed contract requires the fight to take place in the UK, and that moving it would mean renegotiating. Frank Warren says Fury's agreement states something different on the venue. Neither man holds a world title, so no belt is at stake. What is confirmed about Joshua vs Fury is a shorter list than the noise around it suggests.
Who is Moses Itauma fighting next?
Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgović takes place on Saturday 29 August 2026 at The Arena London, with the vacant IBF world heavyweight title at stake. Oleksandr Usyk gave up that belt on 26 June 2026. The fight is billed as 'Natural Born Thriller' and goes out on DAZN.
Hrgović took Olympic bronze at Rio 2016. The IBF title was still vacant as of 18 August 2026, and this is the fight to fill it.
UK and Ireland boxing fixtures for autumn 2026 sets out six cards from 22 August to 24 October, with the date and venue for each. Prestige Corporate Events covers what a fight night involves in ringside hospitality at major boxing fights.
Which world heavyweight titles has Oleksandr Usyk vacated?
Oleksandr Usyk vacated the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles on 26 June 2026. He did not retire, and he retains The Ring championship, which is not one of the four sanctioning-body titles. Oleksandr Usyk's career and heavyweight legacy looks back over his run in the division.
Why are the heavyweight titles split four ways?
Four sanctioning bodies each recognise their own world heavyweight champion, so one man is champion of the whole division only while he holds all four belts at once. No boxer holds all four. The division has no undisputed champion: three men hold a belt each and the fourth is vacant as of 18 August 2026.
A belt can move without a fight when the champion gives it up and the sanctioning body promotes one of its own titleholders in his place. That is how the WBC and the WBA changed hands in 2026, after Oleksandr Usyk gave them up. As of 18 August 2026, the WBO is the only belt decided in the ring this year: Daniel Dubois beat Fabio Wardley for it in May 2026. Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgović fight for the vacant IBF title on 29 August 2026.
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Frequently Asked Questions
As of 18 August 2026, the world heavyweight titles are split between Agit Kabayel at the WBC, Murat Gassiev at the WBA and Daniel Dubois at the WBO, and the IBF title is vacant. Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgović meet for that belt on 29 August 2026. Oleksandr Usyk retains The Ring championship, which sits outside the four sanctioning bodies. No boxer holds all four.
Moses Itauma fights Filip Hrgović on Saturday 29 August 2026 at The Arena London. The vacant IBF world heavyweight title is at stake, and the fight is billed as 'Natural Born Thriller'. Hrgović took Olympic bronze at Rio 2016. Oleksandr Usyk gave up the IBF title on 26 June 2026, and it was still vacant as of 18 August 2026.
No. Anthony Joshua holds none of the four sanctioning-body world heavyweight titles as of 18 August 2026. He is a former IBF, WBA and WBO world heavyweight champion. Daniel Dubois knocked him out in London in 2024, in a fight for the IBF title. On the night of Saturday 25 July 2026, Joshua stopped Kristian Prenga in round two, having been floored twice himself in round one.
No. Tyson Fury holds no world heavyweight title as of 18 August 2026, though he is a two-time former world champion. His record is 36 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw with 25 knockouts. Mariusz Wach's corner pulled him out after seven rounds on 24 July 2026. Joshua vs Fury is signed by both sides and targeted for November 2026, live on Netflix, with no date and no venue announced as of 18 August 2026.
Oleksandr Usyk gave up the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles on 26 June 2026. He did not retire. He kept The Ring championship, which is not one of the four sanctioning-body titles. Agit Kabayel was promoted at the WBC and Murat Gassiev at the WBA. The IBF title is still vacant as of 18 August 2026, and Moses Itauma meets Filip Hrgović for it on 29 August 2026.
The heavyweight titles are split because four separate sanctioning bodies each recognise their own world champion, and no fighter holds all four belts. Only Daniel Dubois won his belt in the ring in 2026, beating Fabio Wardley for the WBO. The WBC and WBA were filled by internal promotion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated, and the IBF is vacant as of 18 August 2026.
Written by Steve Hill
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