IBF Orders Frank Sanchez vs Moses Itauma as Itauma Prepares to Face Filip Hrgovic

Overview

• The International Boxing Federation issued an order on June 30 for No.1 Frank Sanchez and No.3 Moses Itauma to negotiate for the vacant IBF heavyweight title and gave them until July 29 to reach an agreement.
• Itauma is already contracted to fight Filip Hrgovic at London’s O2 Arena on August 29 on DAZN pay‑per‑view, creating a scheduling clash if the IBF negotiation leads to a mandatory title fight before that date.
• The IBF rankings show Sanchez at No.1, Itauma at No.3 and Hrgovic at No.4, so a Hrgovic win on August 29 would likely elevate him into IBF title contention if Itauma is displaced.
• Itauma previously turned down an IBF eliminator with Sanchez last September to protect his WBO and WBA positions, a decision his camp says shaped his current path toward multiple title options.
• The order follows Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish belts, which has already prompted different moves across bodies such as the WBC upgrading Agit Kabayel, and could speed or complicate who fights for each vacant heavyweight belt.