WBA heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev has voiced his admiration for Moses Itauma, hinting at a potential future matchup while focusing on his upcoming fight against Tony Yoka in Moscow on July 11. A victory in this bout would secure Gassiev's position as the mandatory challenger for Super champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Earlier this year, the WBA mandated a fight between Gassiev and Itauma, but the latter chose to face Jermaine Franklin at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, where he achieved an impressive fifth-round stoppage.

Despite this detour, Gassiev remains open to a clash with Itauma, who is expected to fight Filip Hrgovic in London this August. Gassiev commented on Itauma's potential, saying, "[Itauma] is very young, he has a lot of time. Right now he just needs to enjoy, have fun in the gym, in training camp, in the fights. He has a good future."

Gassiev continued to praise the British star, noting his strong record of 14-0-0 with 12 KOs. He said, "He's smart, he's strong. He has a strong mentality. You never know what will happen in the ring."

Promoter Al Siesta echoed Gassiev's sentiments, stating on the Toe2Toe podcast that Gassiev is capable of unifying the heavyweight division. He expressed hope that a fight with Itauma could still materialize, indicating that both fighters are on a collision course with Gassiev.

With an eye on the future, Gassiev remains committed to his current challenge, emphasizing, "Right now for me, my focus is Tony [Yoka]."