Moses Itauma has vowed to bounce back stronger than ever from his upset defeat to Filip Hrgovic.Itauma was stopped in the ninth round of a gruelling IBF heavyweight title tilt that he had been dominating up to that point.Itauma had been well on top of the action in the first eight rounds against HrgovicGettyThe Chatham southpaw had won all eight rounds on two of the scorecards and all but the seventh stanza on the other heading into the last quarter of the fight.His lead had been boosted further by a 10-8 round in the second frame when Hrgovic’s glove touched the canvas.However, all of his good work was undone when his gas tank emptied at the end of the eighth round.When he got off the stool for the ninth, exhaustion had visibly set in, and Hrgovic took full advantage as he piled on the pressure for a come-from-behind win. It marked the 21-year-old’s first defeat both as an amateur and a professional, and Itauma admits it took some time for him to come to terms with it.Itauma opens up on Hrgovic defeat“For a long time, I couldn’t accept it had happened,” said Itauma.“I was winning the fight so comfortably, and then all of a sudden my body just started shutting itself down. “But even though I didn’t get the decision I wanted, I was proud of my performance. “For the knowledge I had, for the talent I had, and for the experience I had, I put on a good show.“I’ll be back. The identity of being a boxer is still deeply rooted in me, so just because I lost doesn’t mean that that’s going to change. Itauma’s gas tank gave up on him in the ninth stanza as Hrgovic rallied lateGetty“That was the third round I’ve ever lost in my boxing career; it just happened to be for the heavyweight championship of the world at 21 years of age. “I’m not tripping over it. I attempted greatness, and I fell short.”On Hrgovic, he added: “Skill-wise, he didn’t surprise me, but he’s very durable. “I’ve always been able to do things that other people couldn’t do. “Jermaine Franklin’s never looked like he’s ever been in any trouble, but I knocked him out. “Against Hrgovic, I was an arm’s length away from so much greatness, and maybe that was the experience that I needed to have.Itauma is set to return to the ring in January as the rebuilding process gets underwayGetty“It was all the way till a minute before the fight stopped. I didn’t have a worry, and it was only a couple of minutes into round nine that I started moving in slow motion, and he was in fast motion. “It was like I just couldn’t do anything. Obviously, the exhaustion must have kicked in, but at no point in that fight was I like, ‘Oh, I’m messing up’.When is Itauma back in action?Itauma is expected to return to the ring in January as he looks to rebuild his career. The youngster had hoped for an immediate rematch with Hrgovic, but that isn’t possible as the Croatian must first fulfil his IBF mandatory obligation against Frank Sanchez.Watch Boxing on DAZN*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenueSign up to DAZN to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate from just £24.99/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.Alternatively, DAZN Standard is just £15.99/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.Click here to sign up.