In truth, Itauma has the hand speed of a middleweight which allows him to land the left hand before an opponent can even finish their jab.
Unlike many traditionalists, Itauma embraces heavy Olympic lifting. He has been recorded power cleaning 140kg and bench pressing 175kg, power that translates directly into the explosive torque of his straight left and left hook.
Southpaw geometry
The majority of the heavyweight division fights orthodox so being southpaw gives Itauma a natural power lane against the field.
He excels at stepping his lead foot outside his opponent’s, creating a direct line for his left hand to split their guard. From there, Itauma does not just throw the straight left; he can turn it into a short, chopping hook or an uppercut that catches fighters leaning forward. After landing, he does not retreat; he uses “pivot exits” to slip out at 45-degree angles, leaving opponents punching at the space he just occupied.
Itauma also often uses a rapid stutter-step to close distance. This resets his opponent’s timing and allows him to “teleport” into punching range without the telegraphed lunge seen in most heavyweights. He uses disposition feints – small, twitchy lead-foot movements that mimic an entry – which freeze opponents or trigger a premature jab. Itauma immediately punishes these with a counter.
Despite his 6ft 4in frame, he also has exceptional balance. He can transition from circling the ring to a hard plant in a fraction of a second, allowing him to generate massive torque from the ground up without losing his defensive posture.
Victims of Itauma’s left arm
The effectiveness of his power is best seen in recent step-ups in competition. Dropping Whyte was a massive statement. Itauma used a lightning-fast flurry topped off by a devastating left, ending the fight inside the opening two minutes.
In 2024 Itauma blitzed Australian Demsey McKean, stopping the 22-1 fighter in the first round with relentless accuracy.