He tore into the 6’8″ Akpejiori, dropped him with a crushing combination and then finished him with two heavy right hands. Akpejiori fell backward and lay flat as referee Robert Hoyle stopped the fight.
“I’m different because these heavyweights are all one-dimensional. I’ve got different styles they haven’t seen yet, so I’m excited to be able to showcase that, hopefully soon. I’ll make sure I bring heavyweight boxing back to America instead of being over in the UK,” Vanhouter told UFC.com before the fight.
The contrast with Itauma could not be starker. British boxing spent two years hailing Itauma as a generational prodigy while feeding him stationary punching bags. That entire machine fell apart in August when Filip Hrgovic dragged him past the early rounds.
Vanhouter is different. His shoulders remain loose, his feet stay underneath him, and his combinations flow naturally. His uppercut is especially dangerous because he does not need a large windup to generate power.
American boxing fans probably will not crown Vanhouter based on this performance. That is not how the US audience usually treats young heavyweights. He will need to beat world-level opposition before casual fans begin treating him as a future champion.
British fans were far less cautious with Itauma. Many bought into the hype while he was being matched exclusively against lower-level opposition. His speed and quick knockouts were treated as proof of greatness before anyone tested his stamina, patience, or ability to handle resistance.
Itauma fought like an amateur slugger convinced his own promotional posters were bulletproof. He loaded up on full-power swings, threw wild punches, and carried sluggish weight that completely betrayed him. Once Hrgovic absorbed the initial flurry, Itauma gassed out entirely, had his chin dented, and was brutally stopped in round nine before leaving the arena on a stretcher.
Vanhouter already seems smart enough to avoid that trap. He noted Itauma’s collapse, recognizing that a heavyweight cannot simply hammer the throttle and expect world-class operators to capitulate.
Akpejiori was chinny opposition, and Vanhouter still has to prove himself across deep rounds. The difference is that American fans will force Vanhouter to earn his status against real contenders instead of crowning him off mismatches.
The UK rushed to crown Itauma early. Vanhouter faces a steeper road to earn universal respect, but his fluid mechanics and destructive power give him a much higher ceiling.
