Oleksandr Usyk has spoken out after Moses Itauma dramatically came up short against Filip Hrgovic on Saturday.

Itauma suffered the first defeat of his professional career as he was stopped by Hrgovic in their vacant IBF heavyweight title fight at The O2 Arena in London.

It looked like the Brit was well on the way to earning the win and becoming the second youngest world heavyweight champion in history, after knocking down Hrgovic in the second round and continuing to dominate as the action progressed.

Hrgovic showed a granite chin though and was able to weather the storm throughout the bout, allowing him to defeat his exhausted rival in the ninth round after Itauma had punched himself out and was struggling to stand upright.

The vacant IBF belt was on the line after Usyk had relinquished his unified heavyweight titles earlier this summer, and the Ukrainian has now shared his reaction to what unfolded over the weekend.

Posting on social media, Usyk congratulated Hrgovic on his win, whilst also insisting that Itauma will be able to bounce back from the loss.

“The Itauma vs Hrgovic fight is another reminder of how unpredictable boxing can be. Anything can happen once you step into the ring. Congratulations, Filip on a great victory! Moses, this is not the end. Come back stronger and keep moving forward. Your journey has only just begun!”

Usyk has previously referred to Itauma as ‘the future’ of the heavyweight division, but the 21-year-old will now have to rebuild as he looks to recover from his first professional defeat.