LONDON -- Moses Itauma pushed Filip Hrgović off stage before Hrgović attempted to slap the Brit in return at a heated weigh in on Friday ahead of their heavyweight title clash.
The pair shared an intense, expletive laden face-off before Hrgović moved to the front of the stage. Itauma then pushed him and the Croatian lost his balance.
Hrgović climbed back on stage and struck Itauma in the face as the pair had to be pulled apart by security.
I'm just ready to go. Thank you very much for coming out. Come on! Let's go," Itauma said. "I just lost it a little bit but we're here now."
"I had a little itch, and I just had to scratch it."
Itauma weighed in heavier than his rival, coming in at top 241.7 pounds with Hrgović hitting the scales at 232.6lbs.
A big crowd gathered at Spitalfields Market in east London to see the pair face off for the final time with a loud reception for the 21-year-old Brit.
Itauma (14-0, 12 KOs) is bidding to become the second youngest heavyweight champion in history and youngest ever from Britain, while Hrgović (20-1, 15KOs) is hoping to be crowned Croatia's first heavyweight champ.
It's expected to be an entertaining clash between two knockout artists, while Hrgović has been taken the lead with the verbal jabs in the build-up, referring to Itauma as "a kid" and "delusional" at times.
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He has also said this week that victory would be bad for Itauma's "soul" and could "ruin" him with too much success early in his career.
Asked for a prediction at Thursday's news conference, Hrgović said: "I'll smash the kid, man," Hrgović said.
"I just tell you what I think. I think he's a kid, he's not mature enough. I think I'm the man. I'm a much better age, much more experienced. That's it.
"I will smash the kid on Saturday and I'll send him back to high school." Itauma conceded earlier in the week that Hrgović's taunts were starting to "wind me up."
