The southpaw has the chance to become history’s second youngest world heavyweight champion when he faces Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF title at London’s 02 Arena live on DAZN Pay-Per-View.

Hrgovic (20-1, 15 KOs), 34, has spent much of the build-up denigrating Itauma’s achievements, insisting that the 21-year-old has had everything put on a plate for him by his Queensberry promoters.

Then, on Tuesday, the Croatian suggested that Itauma would be best served by losing their clash to “save his soul” because a world title at such a young age could set him on a path to ruin.

And, in a surprising twist, Itauma (14-0, 12 KOs) has actually agreed.

“If I win this fight, it might not be good for my soul,” Itauma told reporters during a roundtable Tuesday afternoon in London. “I can hear that. But that's not the reason why I'm just gonna go in there and not win — for the sake of my soul. That's not a good idea.

“Although he’s been annoying me, that is one thing that I can say I hear, because I already know the level of success I've achieved, and I already know how I'm coping at the level I'm coping with.

“I've always said I never wanted to be at Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury level [of fame] because I know how annoyed I get trying to be a normal person. Now I can't imagine being at the level of Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua, but at the same time, if I'm going the path I'm going, I don't have a choice."

Hrgovic’s campaign to get under Itauma’s skin has also included calling him a deluded kid who has his head in the clouds and has no idea what is coming for him when they meet Saturday.

After months of back-and-forth, Hrgovic is starting to have some success after all.

“Do you know what?” Itauma says through gritted teeth. “This Hrgovic guy, I say to myself there's nothing he can do to get in my head but he's starting to wind me up. In an interview earlier, apparently he said I wake up and I just hug trees. He's really starting to annoy me. “But I always try to find the reason behind somebody trying to portray the intention they're portraying, and in my mind if somebody's trying to get one up on you, or if somebody's trying to get in your head, it's because they're not confident in themselves. “But obviously Hrgovic is a talker. Before fights, he's always said certain things. Like before he fought [Daniel] Dubois he said he sees big muscles but not big balls. Then you see Dubois raging in his mind.

“He's always been a talker. It's just because English isn't his first language that people don't pay attention to that.”