Chatham heavyweight Moses Itauma will return to the ring early next year as he looks to rebuild his career following the first defeat of his professional career.

Promoter Frank Warren has revealed the 21-year-old is planning a comeback in January after suffering a stoppage loss to Filip Hrgovic in his bid to become the second youngest boxer to have won a world heavyweight title.

Speaking to PA Sport, Warren said: “Moses will be back in January, if not before, but January’s looking like the date.”

Warren dismissed any chance of a rematch with Hrgovic.

“He [Moses] wanted a rematch with Filip, which couldn’t be done because Filip’s got Frank Sanchez, who had agreed to step aside."

He added: “I would like Moses to be in with a name to start with. I want to get that done so he can focus on doing what he wants to do – win a world title.

“We want to get him out as soon as possible because he wants to get back in the mix and be part of what’s happening next year."

An exact date, venue and opponent have yet to be confirmed.

Itauma had entered his August 29 showdown with Hrgovic at London's O2 Arena with an unbeaten record of 14 wins, including 12 knockouts, and huge expectations surrounding his future.

He made a promising start against the Croatian – the former Olympic medallist touching down in the second round – and troubling his more experienced opponent.

But Hrgovic gradually gained the upper hand as the fight wore on, with Itauma tiring before a barrage of punches in the ninth round forced the referee to step in. Itauma was carried out of the arena on a stretcher.

The defeat ended Itauma’s hopes of becoming Britain’s youngest heavyweight world champion and marked a significant setback for one of boxing’s most highly rated young prospects.

Despite the disappointment, the loss offers Itauma an opportunity to learn from his first experience of defeat at the highest level.

Warren is keen for the youngster to return against an established name before resuming his pursuit of a world title.

Itauma’s next outing will be an important step in showing how he responds to his first major setback.