British heavyweight Moses Itauma has been told he must “wait his turn” after Kubrat Pulev agreed to defend his WBA ‘regular’ title against Murat Gassiev in Dubai on 12 December.
Pulev, 44, was ordered to defend his secondary WBA belt against 20-year-old Itauma but has agreed to face former cruiserweight world champion Gassiev instead.
But Pulev’s promoter Ivaylo Gotzev, who is the CEO of Epic Sports and Entertainment, said the WBA has agreed to let the veteran make a voluntary defence.
“The Pulev vs Gassiev fight is signed, sealed, and confirmed – so [Moses] Itauma will have to wait his turn,” said Gotzev.
“We have an official WBA resolution authorising Kubrat Pulev’s first title defence to be a voluntary, and in line with that, we’ve locked in a terrific opponent in Murat Gassiev.”
Moses Itauma’s promoter Frank Warren says his heavyweight is happy to fight Kubrat Pulev next after the match-up was ordered by the WBA.
Pulev, the WBA’s ‘Regular’ champion, was ordered to defend his belt against the 20-year-old rising star.
Team Itauma has been considering a fight for the Englishman in December, with Derek Chisora suggesting he would share a card with Itauma on 13 December in Manchester.
“We’ve had several top heavyweights already turn down a fight with Moses but if Pulev fancies the job now that it’s been ordered we will absolutely be pursuing it. It’s a brilliant fight,” Warren told BBC Sport.
Itauma last fought in August when he blew former world title challenger Dillian Whyte away in one round.
The result improved Itauma’s undefeated record to 13 fights and eleven knockouts.
Itauma has since been linked with a slew of potential opponents including Filip Hrgovic, Michael Hunter and domestic rival David Adeleye.
Warren is keen to give Itauma more rounds as the youngster only has 26 rounds under his belt so far.
Pulev is a veteran of the sport at the age of 44, with 35 fights on his record.
The Bulgarian has twice challenged for world titles, losing to Anthony Joshua in 2020 and Wladimir Klitschko in 2014.
Queensberry boss Warren has cooled talk of an imminent fight with the likes of Oleksandr Usyk, but says Itauma “is already one of the best heavyweights in world boxing”.
“Our job is to make the right fights for him at the right time,” Warren said.
“I’ve been in boxing 47 years and at his age, 20 years of age, he is the best young talent at that age that I’ve ever been involved with, and I’ve been involved with 99% of the top British fighters and other fighters from around the world.”
Itauma has shown maturity beyond his years since winning in just 23 seconds on his professional debut in 2023 – and has continued to excel with every step up.
Heavyweight rivals Joseph Parker, Derek Chisora and Lawrence Okolie were among those watching at ringside as the rising star put on another statement performance.
The Slovakia-born fighter walked first to the ring, despite being the A-side, but was made to wait for more than three minutes – longer than the fight lasted – by Whyte, who delayed his entrance.
After throwing a few early feints to get a read on his opponent, Itauma started to unload and quickly found the range for his heavy hands.
Whyte was clearly feeling the power and back on the ropes as Itauma picked his shots carefully.
A right hook to the temple proved the telling blow and, despite bravely getting back to his feet, Whyte was deemed not fit to continue.
“How he did it, his temperament, control and composure – he fights better than guys at their peak and he is 20 years of age,” Queensberry’s Frank Warren, who promotes Itauma, told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“He did a job on somebody who has been at the best levels.”
Despite getting into the shape of his career – weighing the lightest for 10 years – Whyte could not cut it with Itauma and questions linger over his future.
Itauma’s dreams of becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history ended in May, but this victory puts him firmly on track for a title shot in boxing’s glamour division in the next 12 months.
With Tyson Fury in retirement, Anthony Joshua in the twilight of his career and Daniel Dubois losing his IBF title to Usyk last month, Itauma once again demonstrated he is the great British heavyweight hope in waiting.
While there are no confirmed reports – it appears as though there will NOT be a rematch clause in the contract between Itauma and Whyte.
With Itauma aged 20 and Whyte 17 years older, they are at opposite ends of their careers.
Itauma will be hoping to push forwards into the title scene with a victory, and Whyte will be looking to prove he still belongs at the top, so a rematch may not be on the agenda for either fighter.
SunSport will keep you updated if and when a rematch clause is confirmed in the contract between the pair.
What’s the Dill?
Dillian Whyte rocked up to Riyadh 17lb lighter than his last bout and 1lb lighter than the rival almost half his age.
But he vowed to unload the heavy artillery inside the ring, after a very tame build-up from the reformed Brixton bad boy.
“Things have gone good,” he said about his dramatic weight loss. “That’s it. He was saying stuff at the press conference and I just him told him to relax, take it easy and chill out.
“He asked me to take my glasses off and today I came in with no glasses. I’m a chilled guy until people mess me about.
“I don’t need to be a bully. I can just switch like that, when I need to.”
Whyte a ‘wounded animal’?
Moses Itauma saw a ‘wounded animal’ in the eyes of super-skinny Dillian Whyte.
Whyte stunned the crowd with a six pack and 244lb of muscle, Itauma got to see his pupils and he reckons he spotted prey.
At 245lb he growled: “I saw a wounded animal. I’m not looking for the knockout but if it happens, it happens.”
Frankly speaking
Frank Warren reckons Moses Itauma is so calm and calculated that even the Planet’s Baddest Man might struggle to scare him.
The 73-year-old Hall-of-Famer told SunSport: “Mike Tyson, in the early days, won 90 per cent of his fights outside the ring.
“The intimidation was unbelievable. I mean, he really intimidated people.
“Most of the American heavyweight guys back then were from the streets but that’s what he managed to do with a lot of them.
“There were a rare couple of fighters he couldn’t intimidate, like Buster Douglas.
“And he couldn’t intimidate Evander Holyfield in any way, shape or form.
“And I think, with Moses, I think you have a hard job to intimidate him.”
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The exciting youngster is ranked No1 by the WBO after he knocked out Mike Balogun in May to take his flawless record to 12-0.
Itauma is the big favourite to beat veteran Whyte, who is almost double his age.
The Bodysnatcher is looking to pull off a huge upset as he looks to revive his career after underwhelming wins against Christian Hammer and Ebenezer Tetteh in 2024.
A win for Whyte could potentially set up a blockbuster rematch with Anthony Joshua or a trilogy bout against Derek Chisora.
But defeat may see the 37-year-old’s time as a top heavyweight come to an end.
SunSport brings you all the details you need ahead of Itamua vs Whyte.
Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte – all the info
One of the biggest fights of the year has arrived
The highly-touted Moses Itauma faces the biggest test of his fledgling career as he steps into the ring with Dillian Whyte on Saturday night.
Itauma, 20, has great expectations on his shoulders – he has been compared to Mike Tyson and is expected by many to dominate boxing’s heavyweight division over the next decade.
But the Slovakian-born star – who sits at 12-0 (10KOs) is yet to face a test anywhere close to what Whyte can offer.
The Body Snatcher is now 37 and has not looked great in his last couple of fights, but the former world title challenger knows an upset win would catapult him right back to the top table.
The whole fight card will stream live on DAZN in over 200 countries across the globe via a DAZN subscription.
If you are not currently a DAZN member, then monthly and annual subscription options are available to watch over 185 fights a year across boxing, bare knuckle boxing, MMA and kickboxing.
An Annual Super Saver subscription is a one-off payment of £119.99 / $224.99 for 12-months access (£14.99 / $19.99 per month if paying in monthly instalments).
A Monthly Flexible pass, which can be cancelled at any time, is £24.99 / $29.99 per month.
Alternatively, SunSport’s live blog will bring you round-by-round updates from the huge card.
Who else is on the card?
Here are all the bouts taking place in Saudi Arabia:
Subject to change
Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte; Heavyweight
Nick Ball vs Sam Goodman; Featherweight, for the WBA title
Ray Ford vs Abraham Nova; Super featherweight
Filip Hrgovic vs David Adeleye; Heavyweight
Hayato Tsutsumi vs Qais Ashfaq; Super featherweight
The Body Snatcher – as he is affectionately known for his work to the midsection – has also developed one of the most dangerous left hooks in that time.
But the punch – especially as a counter while catching the opponent’s shot on the gloves – is harder to land on a southpaw due to the angle of stances.
Trainer Mark Tibbs – who had four years and 11 fights with Whyte before their split in 2020 – recognises his former boxer is at risk of being debilitated against leftie Itauma.
Tibbs said on SunSport’s No Glove Lost episode: “Unless Moses is throwing a big hook, catch and whip, Dillian loves doing that, catching the shot and whipping the hook.
“But, he’s got to get the right hand off as well, in my opinion.”
The highly-touted Moses Itauma faces the biggest test of his fledgling career as he steps into the ring with Dillian Whyte on Saturday night.
Itauma, 20, has great expectations on his shoulders – he has been compared to Mike Tyson and is expected by many to dominate boxing’s heavyweight division over the next decade.
But the Slovakian-born star – who sits at 12-0 (10KOs) is yet to face a test anywhere close to what Whyte can offer.
The Body Snatcher is now 37 and has not looked great in his last couple of fights, but the former world title challenger knows an upset win would catapult him right back to the top table.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the fight…
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Anthony Yarde – who lost in his two brave light-heavyweight titles challenges to Sergey Kovalev and Artur Beterbeiv – was in agreement.
And he looked to fellow guest on the panel, Derek Chisora, as an example of how Whyte should approach the bout against Itauma.
Yarde, 34, said: “For him to be catching and countering Moses, it has to be fast.
“For him to give Moses trouble or upset Moses, I personally think he’s just got to be a veteran.
“Derek will now, you drag them down. Even (Chisora’s) last fight against Otto (Wallin) I was thinking, is that Derek? Because he put it on him.
“Every time it was, bap, bap, bap, let him have it! Take that and see how you like it. It’s calculated.”
With Whyte’s famous left hook potentially being nullified – Tibbs believes the right hand will need to be more deadly than ever before.
He said: “I’d like Dillian to try get his lead foot on the outside the best he can and get his right hand off because he’s fighting the southpaw.
“But he will have to use that left hand as a bit of a shield and get in mid range as early as possible.
“They don’t call him The Body Snatcher for nothing, so we’re going to have to get round that body and try and unsettle and not let Moses be pretty.
“But Moses is fleet-footed, it’s a difficult task but Dillian’s got the experience, I’m sure he’s got the desire and he’s a fighting man.
“Unless Moses is throwing a big hook, catch and whip, Dillian loves doing that, catching the shot and whipping the hook.
“But, he’s got to get the right hand off as well, in my opinion.”
Tibbs – who never cornered Whyte against a southpaw – called on him to try and drag Itauma into a fight the youngster has never experienced before.
The trainer said: “He’s got a difficult task but if I was Dillian, he’s got to do his utmost to edge him back and put him on his heels. Not too many men can fight on their heels.
“But Moses, like Derek says, is a fresh, fresh lion. He’s a sharp shooter, a great counter puncher, but it’s a cracking match.
“Moses needs a Dillian Whyte right now to see where he’s at. The fans need to see where he’s at, we need to see where Moses is at.
“He’s 12 fights in, it’s not a great deal. It’s a cracking match and what makes it a cracking match is Dillian’s mentality – like I’ve said before – and equally Moses’ mentality.”
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Mark Tibbs formerly coached WhyteCredit: Getty
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Moses Itauma takes on Whyte in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Getty
The exciting youngster is ranked No1 by the WBO after he knocked out Mike Balogun in May to take his flawless record to 12-0.
Itauma is the big favourite to beat veteran Whyte, who is almost double his age.
The Bodysnatcher is looking to pull off a huge upset as he looks to revive his career after underwhelming wins against Christian Hammer and Ebenezer Tetteh in 2024.
A win for Whyte could potentially set up a blockbuster rematch with Anthony Joshua or a trilogy bout against Derek Chisora.
But defeat may see the 37-year-old’s time as a top heavyweight come to an end.
SunSport brings you all the details you need ahead of Itamua vs Whyte.
Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte – all the info
One of the biggest fights of the year has arrived
The highly-touted Moses Itauma faces the biggest test of his fledgling career as he steps into the ring with Dillian Whyte on Saturday night.
Itauma, 20, has great expectations on his shoulders – he has been compared to Mike Tyson and is expected by many to dominate boxing’s heavyweight division over the next decade.
But the Slovakian-born star – who sits at 12-0 (10KOs) is yet to face a test anywhere close to what Whyte can offer.
The Body Snatcher is now 37 and has not looked great in his last couple of fights, but the former world title challenger knows an upset win would catapult him right back to the top table.
The whole fight card will stream live on DAZN in over 200 countries across the globe via a DAZN subscription.
If you are not currently a DAZN member, then monthly and annual subscription options are available to watch over 185 fights a year across boxing, bare knuckle boxing, MMA and kickboxing.
An Annual Super Saver subscription is a one-off payment of £119.99 / $224.99 for 12-months access (£14.99 / $19.99 per month if paying in monthly instalments).
A Monthly Flexible pass, which can be cancelled at any time, is £24.99 / $29.99 per month.
Alternatively, SunSport’s live blog will bring you round-by-round updates from the huge card.
Who else is on the card?
Here are all the bouts taking place in Saudi Arabia:
Subject to change
Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte; Heavyweight
Nick Ball vs Sam Goodman; Featherweight, for the WBA title
Ray Ford vs Abraham Nova; Super featherweight
Filip Hrgovic vs David Adeleye; Heavyweight
Hayato Tsutsumi vs Qais Ashfaq; Super featherweight
Dillian Whyte’s trainer Buddy McGirt admitted he has never watched Moses Itauma box
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Itauma is undefeated and has brought back memories of a teenage Mike Tyson
And that could come back to haunt the Body Snatcher and his trainer as his upcoming foe has won all of his 12 fights heading to their clash in the Middle East.
McGirt said: “I’m gonna be 1000% honest with you, I’ve never seen Moses fight, so I really don’t know what he’s ready for.
“He’s got to bring it all. I said to Dill ‘Listen, let’s be realistic here, what can this kid do that you haven’t already seen?
“But can that kid ask the same question? Can Dillian do something that this kid has never seen before?”
McGirt has worked with with several other world champions, such as Sergey Kovalev, Arturo Gatti andHasim Rahman
And the American rarely watches tape in the lead-up to any of his boxers’ fights.
Belfast’s Anthony Cacace has been forced to withdraw from his fight against former world featherweight champion Raymond Ford because of a back injury.
Cacace had been due to face the 26-year-old New Jersey southpaw on the undercard of Moses Itauma and Dillian Whyte’s heavyweight bout in Saudia Arabia on 16 August.
However, the 36-year-old has had to pull out of the 12-round super-featherweight contest after injuring his back in training.
“We wish Anto well in his recovery and hope to see him return to the ring later this year,” said Queensberry Promotions.
The fight would have given Cacace the chance to cement his position as one of the biggest forces in the 130-pound division.
In May 2024, he claimed the IBF title with a shock eighth-round stoppage win over Joe Cordina before beating Josh Warrington in a non-title contest at Wembley five months later.
Cacace vacated his IBF belt in January before stopping former two-time world champion Leigh Wood in Nottingham in May.
“In the first two months of me being professional, I realised that goal’s impossible. I was naive when I said that. I said that before I turned professional.
“I didn’t realise how much you can’t control in this boxing game. You think since I turned professional, the world champions have been Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
“There’s no way in two years I would have put myself in a position to fight them.”
Itauma’s two-round destruction of Mike Balogun on Saturday extended his record to 12 wins and 10 knockouts.
He was initially marketed as the teenager to break Tyson’s record, but denied it was only ever a clever “marketing strategy” for his career.
