Moses Itauma is not a fan of Filip Hrgovic's trash talk ahead of their mouthwatering heavyweight showdown for the IBF world title on Saturday night14:41, 26 Aug 2026Moses Itauma has brutally hit back at Filip Hrgovic's 'delusional' claim and admits that his upcoming rival is starting to get on his nerves.‌The 21-year-old is set for his first crack at a world title on Saturday night when he clashes with Hrgovic at the O2 Arena in London for the IBF heavyweight belt. A win could see the British sensation become the youngest heavyweight world champion since Mike Tyson - who achieved the incredible feat 40 years ago.‌As the fight edges closer, the pair are starting to go at each other's throats - which only makes for a rather explosive encounter. On Tuesday afternoon, Hrgovic branded his adversary as 'deluded.' And just hours later, it was the Brit's turn to bite back and have his say on the matter.‌“I tell myself there’s nothing that this Hrgovic guy can do to get in my head but he’s starting to wind me up,” Itauma told reporters during a media roundtable on Tuesday evening. “In an interview earlier, apparently he said I wake up and I just hug trees. He’s really starting to annoy me.FOLLOW OUR FIGHTING FB PAGE! Latest boxing and MMA news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page‌“In my mind if somebody’s trying to get one up on you, or trying to get in your head, it’s because they’re not confident in themselves. Obviously Hrgovic is a talker. Before fights, he’s always said certain things – like he did to [Daniel] Dubois when he said he sees big muscles but not big balls. Then you see Dubois, in his mind, is raging. So Hrgovic has always been a talker. It’s just because English ain’t his first language that people don’t pay attention.”It comes after the Croatian boxing veteran had earlier stated that a win for Itauma could ultimately 'ruin' his soul. "I just think he's a kid. He's unexperienced. He's just a young man. I think for him, it would be the best to lose this fight because it's going to ruin him, winning the world title. He's already in the clouds, above the ground. He's already delusional. And I think it can ruin someone who's not ready for that kind of fame, that kind of money."It can ruin your soul, it can make you lose yourself and we've seen a lot of superstars and famous people who have lost themselves. They just lost in that crazy world of fame and money. I think he's not ready for that. I think for him, it would be the best to lose this fight, to be honest with you, to save his soul."Article continues belowBut Itauma believes there may be a method to his rival's madness, revealing: “Although it’s been annoying me, I hear that because I already know the level of success I’ve achieved and how I’m coping. I’ve always said I never wanted to be at Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury level because I know how annoyed I get trying to be a normal person. Now I can’t imagine being at a level of Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua. But, at the same time, if I’m going down this path, I don’t have a choice.”That said, the 21-year-old star does not buy into Hrgovic's remark that a win would be bad for the youngster's soul. “I wouldn’t say he has a point but if I win this fight it might not be good for my soul. I can hear that. But that’s not the reason why I’m just gonna go in there and not win – for the sake of my soul. That’s not a good idea," he admitted.