Moses Itauma lands 2026 world title shot as WBA orders showdown with Pulev–Gassiev winner

Moses Itauma lands 2026 world title shot as WBA orders showdown with Pulev–Gassiev winner

By Johnson Arua

British-Nigerian heavyweight prodigy Moses Itauma is officially on the brink of boxing stardom after the World Boxing Association (WBA) confirmed he will get his long-awaited world title shot in 2026.

In a major ruling, the WBA upheld Itauma’s No.1 mandatory status and ordered that he must face the winner of the December 12 WBA Regular title fight between champion Kubrat Pulev and former cruiserweight king Murat Gassiev. Should their bout end in a draw or no decision, Pulev will automatically remain the man Itauma is cleared to challenge.

The announcement follows a special permit request from Pulev’s camp, after an earlier WBA directive mandated a defence against the 20-year-old knockout artist.

The ruling also greenlights Itauma to take an optional bout against Jermaine Franklin on January 24, 2026, at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena — a fight expected to keep the rising star sharp ahead of his world title opportunity.

Whoever emerges victorious from the Pulev–Gassiev clash will be required to defend the WBA Regular belt against Itauma, with negotiations set between January 25 and February 9, 2026. Failure to strike a deal will trigger a purse bid, split evenly at 50-50.

After a relatively quiet 2025 in which he fought only twice, the unbeaten Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) is gearing up for a blockbuster year. He stopped Mike Balogun earlier in the year before announcing himself on the world stage with a commanding August win over former title challenger Dillian Whyte.

Pulev (32-3, 14 KOs) will be making his second defence of the WBA Regular strap against heavy-hitting Gassiev (32-2, 25 KOs). But if Itauma defeats Franklin as expected, boxing insiders doubt the young Brit will travel to Bulgaria or Russia for his title shot, raising hopes that promoter Frank Warren could stage the fight in the UK. Such a move would force Pulev to make a third trip to British soil, where he previously suffered defeats to Anthony Joshua and Derek Chisora.

Already touted as a future opponent for undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, Itauma is increasingly seen by fans and pundits as the next big force and possibly the future ruler of the heavyweight division.