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RIYADH: Undefeated phenom Moses Itauma (12-0, 10 KOs), one of boxing’s brightest young contenders, will put his perfect record on the line when he takes on battle-hardened veteran Dillian “The Body Snatcher” Whyte (31-3, 21 KOs) in a generational collision on Aug. 16 in Riyadh.

The announcement of the heavyweight bout came on Monday as part of the Esports World Cup Festival underway in the Kingdom.

Both fighters revealed their mindsets to Arab News on the sidelines of the gaming spectacle, framing the bout as career-defining.

For 20-year-old Itauma, the WBO Inter-Continental champion raised in Kent, the fight represents a trial by fire.

“I’ve prepared for this fight as much as I did for my other fights.”

Itauma, trained by Ben Davidson, said that Whyte has a lot of experience boxing, especially against big names in the game.

The prodigy confronted the experience gap head-on: “I was reading something where it’s like I’ve only ever boxed 25 rounds, and Dillian had boxed 258. There’s a big advantage to him. So, yeah, that’s something I’ll have to probably overcome.”

Whyte, the 37-year-old Jamaican-born Londoner, countered with tactical pragmatism: “One thing, it is good that he does not have much experience, but also on the other hand, it is bad because ... he is charging forward and wrecking everything.”

Whyte told Arab News that Itauma has a lot of “self-belief and is dangerous.”

Under trainer Buddy McGirt, his preparation included sparring younger stand-ins to mirror Itauma’s hunger.

“I kind of prepared for that, you know. I brought my young friend Victor back in the camp. He is a big guy, strong guy, and very dangerous and very ambitious, you know, so I can replicate that.”

The heavyweight headliner anchors Riyadh Season’s Esports World Cup Fight Week alongside matchups featuring Nick Ball vs. Sam Goodman and Anthony Cacace vs. Ray Ford.

For Itauma, competing in �������� for the first time since his 2023 debut, this marks his greatest challenge. “I’m not going to say that I think I’m going to lose,” he vowed, “but hopefully put on a good performance, make a good fight.” His message to local fans? A warm “Salam alaikum, ��������!”

Whyte, making his debut in the Kingdom, framed the duel as a temporal and crucial crossroads in heavyweight boxing: “They are saying the present generation vs. the previous generation vs. the future generation ... Moses is competing with this generation as well.”

When asked about the outcome, he said: “The black person is going to win.”

Beneath the bravado, Whyte revealed the fight’s deeper significance: “It’s a very dangerous fight ... but it’s what I need.”

His voice carried the weight of 14 years traversing boxing’s trenches. “We take this fight because we believe in ourselves. My coach believes in me.”

Itauma, who turned pro at 18 after claiming Youth World Championship gold, now faces a legacy-defining moment. As Riyadh’s global spotlight intensifies, their collision — ambition vs. endurance — promises to etch more than a winner into boxing lore.

RIYADH: Manuel “ManuBachoore” Bachoore has won the FC Pro World Championship at the Esports World Cup 2025 for Team Liquid in a 5-3 grand final win against Brice “Brice” Masson of Team Vitality, picking up Team Liquid’s third championship title at this year’s event.

ManuBachoore’s victory sees him become a two-time champion, having won in 2023. He claimed a top eight finish at the Esports World Cup 2024.

And ever since favorite and world No. 1 Anders “Vejrgang” Vejrgang was eliminated this year, ManuBachoore has looked like the most likely winner.

ManuBachoore made it to the World Championship stage via the play-ins, where he only dropped one match in the group stage, topping his group. His main event run proved more difficult, with multiple matches being won by just one goal, proving the intensity of the high-level competition.

The Grand Final was a close match, with ManuBachoore’s signature attacking style on display against his French rival, where goals were traded between the pair.

The final moments proved a tense affair, with ManuBachoore leading by just one goal. However, he was able to score a late goal to make it 5-3, which ended up sealing the championship in his favor.

“I’m so thankful to God, for me to be two-time World Champion is more than I ever asked for in my career. Honestly, I did not think it was possible to win two times.

“But here we are, I can’t believe it. It feels like a dream. It is my dream. I’m happy it’s a reality,” said ManuBachoore.

“I said in an interview before we started, the first time I did not really realize what I did. Now I realize and enjoy it, I’m so happy. It’s a dream. I started in the play-ins, so I came here, not even sure if I would qualify for the tournament.

“I’m here now with the trophy. I’m grateful for this dream.”

ManuBachoore earned Team Liquid 1,000 Club Championship points for his victory, sending the side firmly to the top of the Club Championship standings.

The victory in EA Sports FC 25 is Team Liquid’s third title at the Esports World Cup 2025, marking the first time a club has won three titles at the same Esports World Cup.

The result blows the Club Championship wide open, with Team Falcons having just one top-eight finish this weekend, as we head into the final two weeks.

Team Liquid’s victory in EA Sports FC 25 not only gained them 1,000 Club Championship points, but also denied third-place Team Vitality 250 more crucial points.

Team Vitality remain in third place; however, the strong showing in EA Sports FC 25 has seen them bridge the gap to Team Falcons in second place to just 550 points.

Week six at the Esports World Cup 2025 takes place until Aug. 17 with finals in Teamfight Tactics, Rocket League and Tekken 8.