Moses Itauma keeps getting hit with jabs calling him too young, like he belongs in school instead of a heavyweight cage, and he is brushing every bit of it off. His actual goal has nothing to do with the jokes. He wants to become the youngest heavyweight champion since Mike Tyson. That is a real, specific bar to clear, and Itauma talking about it publicly means he is not shying away from the pressure that comes with chasing a Tyson level achievement. Heavyweight prospects talk big all the time, but naming Tyson specifically raises the stakes on everything Itauma does from here.
Sources (7)
We summarise the day's news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work.
- HORRIBLE PICTURES: This is why Dillon Danis pulled out of the fight (Frontkick Online)
- UFC Shanghai weigh-in results: Both fighters miss weight for matchup in rare mishap (Yahoo Sports)
- Usman Nurmagomedov trashes UFC lightweight top ten, claims they’re a product of ‘PR machine’ (Yahoo Sports)
- Moses Itauma brushes off 'school' jibes as he aims to be youngest heavyweight champ since Mike Tyson (Yahoo Sports)
- Stop crying! Umar Nurmagomedov is tired of ‘Disrespect Dvalishvili’ talking about him (MMA Mania)
- Usman Nurmagomedov trashes UFC lightweight top ten, claims they’re a product of ‘PR machine’ (MMA Mania)
- Legendary ref confirms Paddy Pimblett and Max Holloway have Khabib Nurmagomedov to thank for UFC fine (Bloody Elbow)
Split from that day's roundup, so the sources listed are the full set behind the whole edition rather than this story alone.
This story ran in the August 28, 2026 edition of the daily show.