Zuffa sign Richardson Hitchins & Edgar Berlanga

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ANNOUNCED: Richardson Hitchins and Edgar Berlanga have signed promotional deals with Zuffa Boxing.

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Two key signings for Zuffa. Richardson Hitchins currently a titleholder at 140 pounds, though there were already expectations he’d move to 147 after the Duarte situation. And there is no 140 division in Zuffa. And Edgar Berlanga brings name recognition to the fledgling promotion.

[Cent0089]

Interesting. Hitchins is 140 lbs champ and Zuffa does not have that weightclass.

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Interesting. Hitchins is 140 lbs champ and Zuffa does not have that weightclass.

Either he tried 135 or if he’s already cutting too much, he’ll be 147. Easy.

[Cent0089]

Interesting. Hitchins is 140 lbs champ and Zuffa does not have that weightclass.

Either he tried 135 or if he’s already cutting too much, he’ll be 147. Easy.

He looked much bigger than Kambosos in that fight, no way he can make 135 IMO

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Edgar Berlanga and Richardson Hitchins sign multi-fight deals with Zuffa Boxing | 'This is going to be a special journey'

New promotional powerhouse Zuffa Boxing have signed Edgar Berlanga and Richardson Hitchins; Berlanga said: "I'm here for the biggest fights on boxing's best platform" while Hitchins declared: "I'm going to show the world that I am a pound-for-pound, generational fighter"

Edgar Berlanga and Richardson Hitchins have signed multi-fight deals with Zuffa Boxing.

Their debuts with the new promotional powerhouse are expected this summer.

Berlanga will return to the ring under the Zuffa Boxing banner to reclaim his position as a top contender in the super-middleweight division.

The 28-year-old from Brooklyn has amassed a strong resume over his 10 years in the professional ranks with his only two career defeats coming at the hands of pound-for-pound great Canelo Alvarez and unbeaten knockout artist Hamzah Sheeraz.

He started his pro career by knocking out his first 16 foes in the first round.

"Zuffa Boxing is changing the game," Berlanga said. "I'm here for the biggest fights on boxing's best platform. I'm here to put the super-middleweight division on notice. 'The Monster' is back!

"Thank you to Dana White, Nick Khan, and the entire Zuffa Boxing team for believing in my talent. I also want to thank my father, Edgar Berlanga Sr, and my manager, Keith Connolly, for always guiding me in the right direction, and this move is no different. This is going to be a special journey."

Hitchins joins Zuffa Boxing in the prime of his career as one of the world's best super-lightweights. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he captured his first world title in 2024 with a dominant victory over then-unbeaten Liam Paro in Puerto Rico.

Prior to turning pro, the 28-year-old represented his parents' homeland of Haiti in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

"This is a major step forward in my career," said Hitchins. "I'm very grateful for this opportunity, and I want to thank Dana White, Nick Khan, and my manager, Keith Connolly, for giving a kid from Brooklyn the opportunity to fight on the biggest stage against the world's best fighters.

"With Zuffa Boxing in my corner, I'm going to show the world that I am a pound-for-pound, generational fighter."

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Zuffa sign up Edgar Berlanga and Richardson Hitchins

Zuffa Boxing have signed promotional agreements with Edgar Berlanga and Richardson Hitchins.

According to Dana White’s promotional organisation both have agreed “multi-fight deals”. After their recruitment of Jai Opetaia and Conor Benn, they represent the addition to Zuffa of two further former Matchroom fighters.

“Zuffa Boxing is changing the game,” said the Puerto Rican Berlanga, 28. “I’m here for the biggest fights on boxing’s best platform. I’m here to put the super-middleweight division on notice. ‘The Monster’ is back. Thank you to Dana White, Nick Khan [of TKO Boxing], and the entire Zuffa Boxing team for believing in my talent.

“I also want to thank my father, Edgar Berlanga Snr, and my manager, Keith Connolly, for always guiding me in the right direction, and this move is no different. This is going to be a special journey.”

The addition of Hitchins, the 28-year-old IBF junior-welterweight champion, particularly intrigues. Opetaia was stripped of the IBF cruiserweight title after agreeing to contest the Zuffa Boxing belt; Zuffa also recognise only eight weight divisions, which includes lightweight and welterweight but not junior welterweight.

“This is a major step forward in my career,” said Hitchins. “I’m very grateful for this opportunity, and I want to thank Dana White, Nick Khan, and my manager, Keith Connolly, for giving a kid from Brooklyn the opportunity to fight on the biggest stage against the world’s best fighters.

“With Zuffa Boxing in my corner, I’m going to show the world that I am a pound-for-pound, generational fighter.”

[Sendo Takeshi]

RIP Hitchins.
Berlanga fits Zuffa perfectly, though.

[MPW]

Interesting. Hitchins is 140 lbs champ and Zuffa does not have that weightclass.

Either he tried 135 or if he’s already cutting too much, he’ll be 147. Easy.

It also doesn't have 168 among its weight classes. I doubt Berlanga can make 160, and I think he'll be little more than cannon fodder for most fighters in the top 50 at 175.

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Zuffa signs Richardson Hitchins, Edgar Berlanga

After much speculation over their futures, a world champion and determined world-level contender are Zuffa-bound, the promotional company announced Wednesday.

Berlanga (23-2, 18 KOs) and IBF junior welterweight world champion Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) have agreed multi-fight deals with the company, who've teased their promotional debuts to take place sometime this summer.

"Zuffa Boxing is changing the game. I'm here for the biggest fights on boxing's best platform, here to put the super middleweight division on notice," Berlanga said in a press release.

Berlanga, who was previously aligned with Top Rank and later Matchroom Boxing, has suffered two high-profile defeats against Canelo Alvarez in September 2024 and Hamzah Sheeraz atop The Ring III card last July.

Hitchins, whose proposed title defense against Oscar Duarte in February was shelved at the eleventh hour having fallen ill, shares similar levels of gratitude for the opportunity to test himself elsewhere after a previous long-term association with Matchroom Boxing turned sour last summer.

He proclaimed his free agent status, having stopped former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos in his first title defense, angering promotional chief Eddie Hearn and appeared manufactured by manager Keith Connolly, who also has Conor Benn among his clientele.

Benn makes his Zuffa debut against two-time junior welterweight beltholder Regis Prograis in the chief support preceding Tyson Fury-Arslanbek Makhmudov this weekend.

"This is a major step forward in my career, I'm very grateful for this opportunity and with Zuffa Boxing in my corner, I'm going to show the world that I am a pound-for-pound, generational fighter."

Zuffa recognize eight divisions and the 140-pound class isn't among them, meaning Hitchins will likely vacate his IBF belt and officially move up to welterweight as he has previously hinted at doing. The same applies for Berlanga, who has campaigned at 168 pounds since 2020, though light heavyweight appears to be his new home.

This coming Friday, the 28-year-old pair will do a live Q&A with Zuffa Boxing's Max Kellerman preceding the UFC 327 ceremonial weigh-ins at Miami's Kaseya Center, as plenty will no doubt have questions about their roadmap towards success the rest of the year and beyond with Zuffa's roster steadily building with time.

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Paulie Malignaggi Questions Hitchins Exit Before Zuffa Deal

Malignaggi links pullout to Zuffa Boxing deal, citing risk of loss ahead of Oscar Duarte bout

Paulie Malignaggi has questioned Richardson Hitchins’ withdrawal from a planned fight with Oscar Duarte, pointing to the timing of his Zuffa Boxing deal. He suggested the risk of a loss may have played a role as the agreement was nearing completion.

Malignaggi pointed to the timing between Hitchins pulling out of the fight and the announcement of the Zuffa agreement, suggesting the decision may have been influenced by the risk tied to a loss.

“It comes off like Hitchins may have actually been able to fight Duarte and was told, ‘Look, this contract is already getting made. We’ve got to make something up and not fight Duarte.’ So, that’s what he did instead,” Malignaggi said on ProBox TV.

Malignaggi said the situation appears tied to the deal being close to completion before it was publicly announced. “That’s what it seems to be looking like to me if I had to guess. I think it’s more so not that he ducked Duarte. This deal was already on the table.

It was already about to be signed or may have been signed, and it wasn’t announced,” he said.

Malignaggi said that the risk of losing to Duarte could have affected the agreement.

“He said, ‘Listen, it’s contingent on you not losing to the Duarte fight. You cannot take a risk in the Duarte fight and so go another way.’ Is it a duck? In some ways, yeah,” Malignaggi said.

Many fans have questioned the timing of Hitchins pulling out on the day of the fight, particularly given the matchup.

Duarte is a pressure fighter with a similar style to Gustavo Lemos, who gave Hitchins problems in their previous fight. That style matchup had been viewed as a difficult test heading into the bout.

Hitchins has not publicly linked his withdrawal to the Zuffa deal. No official explanation beyond the initial withdrawal has been confirmed.

[Evander]

Future opponents for their big names

[Cent0089]

this Breyon Gorham guy just fought in Fury undercard. He is with Zuffa. Should be good oponent for Hitchins

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IBF Clarifies Richardson Hitchins Title Position After Zuffa Boxing Move

Richardson Hitchins’ recent decision to align himself with Zuffa Boxing prompted World Boxing News to seek clarification from the International Boxing Federation regarding the champion’s immediate title obligations.

Hitchins became the latest fighter connected to manager Keith Connolly to move toward the new promotional venture following the breakdown of relations between Connolly and Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn as both the IBF super lightweight champion and Edgar Berlanga followed Conor Benn to the Zuffa project.

With Hitchins now attached to that structure, WBN asked the sanctioning body to confirm where the situation stands regarding Hitchins’ mandatory defense.

The federation confirmed the process is already underway.

IBF Mandatory Timeline

“Richardson Hitchins was ordered to negotiate for his mandatory defense of the title against number one and mandatory challenger Lindolfo Delgado on February 23,” the IBF told World Boxing News.

“The parties had until March 24 to reach an agreement. Both sides agreed to two extensions which took the negotiation period to April 7.

“On April 9 a purse bid was ordered for April 21.”

The timeline simply places Hitchins where most IBF champions eventually find themselves — defending the title against the division’s leading contender.

Opetaia Precedent

However, the wider attention surrounding his promotional alignment has already drawn focus following events earlier this year involving cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia.

The IBF withdrew sanction for Opetaia’s bout with Brandon Glanton once the contest was publicly promoted for the “Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship.”

That ruling effectively established the IBF’s position regarding rival championship structures connected to the promotion. The fallout also raised questions about whether the situation could complicate Zuffa’s attempts to attract reigning champions.

For Opetaia himself, the episode placed the cruiserweight star at a crossroads as he weighed his long-term ambition of becoming undisputed against the realities of operating outside boxing’s traditional sanctioning framework, leaving his Zuffa future in doubt.

Opetaia remains aligned with Zuffa but has made no public comment on losing the title he was so proud to hold.

His precedent now forms part of the backdrop to Hitchins’ situation.

Zuffa and Sanctioning Rules

The IBF’s stance in the Opetaia case demonstrated that the federation is willing to enforce its championship rules even when the circumstances involve a major promotional venture.

Despite legal threats from Zuffa Boxing that have yet to fully surface publicly, the sanctioning body maintained its position and ultimately vacated the title.

Unless the regulatory landscape changes — something that could occur if the proposed Muhammad Ali Expansion Act passes the U.S. Senate — the same framework remains in place.

Under current rules, if an IBF champion participates in a contest promoted around a rival championship belt within the division’s weight limit, the title is automatically forfeited.

For Hitchins, though, the immediate issue is far more conventional.

The mandatory challenger is Lindolfo Delgado, a Top Rank fighter who is not part of the Zuffa roster. That creates a practical complication regarding where the fight might ultimately take place.

If Zuffa intends to stage the contest under its banner, the promotion would likely need to win the scheduled purse bid or reach a separate agreement with Top Rank to place Delgado on the event.

Should that happen, Hitchins could still defend his IBF title within the Zuffa framework provided the contest is not promoted around a competing championship belt — something the federation has indicated it would allow.

If the purse bid goes the other way, the situation becomes even simpler, with Hitchins potentially defending his title on a Bob Arum-promoted show instead.

Either way, the IBF’s confirmation makes one point clear: the same playbook that reshaped Jai Opetaia’s reign remains firmly in place when sanctioning body champions align with Zuffa Boxing.

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Richardson Hitchins Tells Critics They’ll Still Watch

IBF champion says fans will still watch as criticism builds over pullout and promotional shift

Richardson Hitchins responded to criticism following his withdrawal from a planned defense against Oscar Duarte and his move to Zuffa Boxing. The IBF junior welterweight champion said fans will still tune in when he returns.

The IBF 140-pound titleholder took to social media to respond to criticism following his withdrawal from a planned defense against Oscar Duarte and his move to Zuffa Boxing, telling detractors that their attention is guaranteed regardless of what they say publicly.

“Y’all hating ass Mfs could say what ya want, but the truth of the matter is y’all still gonna tune into my next fight. Once I pop up on that screen. Ya know, the truth about to perform, and I’m great at what I do,” said Hitchins on X.

While Hitchins is trying to play it cool by claiming the hate is just guaranteed attention, his recent social media activity suggests he is feeling the need to defend his reputation more than ever.

The fallout from that February 21st withdrawal against Oscar Duarte was a massive blow to his standing with the hardcore fan base. Pulling out on the day of the fight is almost unheard of at the championship level, and when you combine that with his history of avoiding the most dangerous names in the division, it is easy to see why the duck narrative has stuck.

Fans are still heated over the fact that a fight with Keyshawn Davis fell through earlier this year. While Hitchins’ camp blamed money, fans saw it as another example of him passing on a high-risk, high-reward challenge.

Hitchins’ signing with Zuffa Boxing in April 2026 has only added fuel to the fire. By moving to a promotion that doesn’t even have a 140-pound ranking system, he effectively walked away from his IBF obligations.

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'Slim and trim' Edgar Berlanga excited about strategy Zuffa Boxing has for him

Edgar Berlanga is back in shape – mentally and physically – after signing with Zuffa Boxing.

The super middleweight contender, who was knocked out in five rounds by Hamzah Sheeraz last July, had been keeping busy behind the scenes – even teasing a music career – but coming back to boxing was always his priority.

“I was doing the music thing so people would think ‘Sheeraz has made him quit boxing and move over to music’. But I was laughing, ‘these people don’t understand what’s coming’,” Berlanga told Boxing Scene.

“We’ve been working on this deal for four or five months. We kept going back and forth with different numbers, working out a good strategy, good gameplan. [Zuffa’s] Dana [White], Nick Khan, they didn’t give us no issues. They’re excited, we’re excited; it’s pretty dope.”

Berlanga, 23-2 (18 KOs), scored 16 consecutive first round KOs after turning professional in 2016. But as the quality of opposition got better, and the paychecks heftier, the Puerto Rican found his dedication to the sport dwindled between fights.

“I’ve found my motivation again,” said the 28-year-old who was outpointed by Canelo Alvarez in 2024. “I wasn’t doing that until I started making more money and you only got two fights a year… when you only fighting two times a year, I started getting fat. [Now] I found the love again for boxing.

“When I’m in camp, I’m a dog, I’m training my ass off, I train like a world class athlete. But it takes a toll on me when I take those breaks; I’m big, I’m walking around like a football player. When I come into camp, I’m big, and I got to worry about dropping the weight. I can’t really focus [just] on technique.”

Now, whatever he is doing, Berlanga is honing his craft.

“I’ve been in the gym working every day, man. Wherever I go, and I go to New York to see my son, I’m bringing my running shoes, I’m bringing my gloves and I’m finding a gym anywhere.

“Now I’ve been staying slim, trim, and I’m good to go.”

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Edgar Berlanga angles for Hamzah Sheeraz rematch in 2027

Edgar Berlanga is embarking on a new journey in his career after his signing with Zuffa Boxing was announced last week.
He hopes that path leads him to a rematch with Hamzah Sheeraz.

On the latest episode of “Inside The Ring,” which premiered Monday on DAZN, Berlanga mapped out his next steps, saying he has his sights set on WBA super middleweight champion Armando Resendiz versus Jaime Munguia on May 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. After potentially facing the winner, Berlanga wants a second bout against Sheeraz, who will fight for the vacant WBO super middleweight belt against Alem Begic in the co-main event before Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven headline The Ring’s “Glory in Giza” card May 23 in Egypt (DAZN Ultimate; DAZN Pay-Per-View).

Berlanga also said he’d be open to a potential fight against Chris Eubank Jr. this year, though facing Sheeraz again is his top priority.

“I don’t give a f*** about nothing else but Sheeraz right now,“ Berlanga said. “I know he’s going in a different direction, or he’s trying to capture the WBO [title]. So, you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to capture the WBA [belt], or we get a big fight going on with Chris Eubank Jr. in London. I’m aiming for next year to get that rematch with him. I think it’s going to be one of the biggest fights in boxing.”

England’s Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs) knocked out Brooklyn’s Berlanga (23-2, 18 KOs) in the fifth round of “The Ring III” main event July 12 in Queens, New York. After a tightly contested first three rounds, Sheeraz dropped Berlanga twice in the fourth and once more in the fifth before referee David Fields stopped the fight.

After suffering his first knockout defeat, Berlanga alleged Sheeraz loaded his hand wraps. Part of Berlanga’s claim was how he was able to go 12 rounds with Canelo Alvarez and was only dropped once.

Berlanga was complimentary of Alvarez’s power, whereas he said getting hit by Sheeraz “felt like an object.”

Alvarez beat Berlanga by unanimous decision in September 2024 to retain his Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 168-pound championships at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“The impact was different,” Berlanga said of Sheeraz’s power compared to Alvarez’s. “I went 12 rounds with Canelo. Canelo dropped me in the third round, hit me right on my chin and I got up. I’m a guy who can take a punch.

“It’s just how the punch was feeling. It just wasn’t feeling like a normal punch. I know how a punch feels. I’ve been boxing for 23 years. I’ve been in the ring with the best. I’ve sparred heavyweights. I’ve been in there with a lot bigger guys. Sheeraz knows, and he’s easy work. That’s why I really want that rematch.”

Berlanga hopes to first have a return fight in New York this summer before landing a significant fight later this year.

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Richardson Hitchins vacating title, heading to welterweight: report

Richardson Hitchins will no longer compete at 140lbs.

Hitchins, 20-0 (8 KOs), is going to vacate his IBF world title and move up to welterweight, according to his manager, Keith Connolly, who spoke to Mike Coppinger of The Ring.

“It was a tough decision for Hitchins, but he’s outgrown the weight class,” Connolly said. “He’s been fighting at 140 since he was 16 as an amateur. Hitchins is an elite fighter, and I truly believe he’ll be even better and stronger at welterweight and that he will be fighting for a world title at 147 in the next 12 months.”

Hitchins is now 28 years old. He turned pro in 2017 and fought a pound or more above the junior welterweight limit for his first few years in the paid ranks. Hitchins consistently made 140 beginning with a November 2022 victory over Yomar Alamo.

In December 2024, Hitchins unseated Liam Paro via split decision for the IBF junior welterweight belt. He made one successful defense, dominating George Kambosos Jnr via seventh-round TKO last June.

Hitchins was supposed to have his second defense this past February against Oscar Duarte as the co-feature of the Mario Barrios-Ryan Garcia pay-per-view. Hitchins made weight at 140lbs at the weigh-in the day before the bout, and he also came in within the IBF’s 150lbs limit for a second weigh-in held the next morning. But Hitchins became ill sometime afterward and pulled out of the bout.

As the Duarte match would have been a voluntary defense, the IBF then ordered Hitchins to take on mandatory challenger Lindolfo Delgado.

Earlier this month came a potential complication for his title reign: Hitchins signed with Zuffa Boxing. Cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia was stripped of his IBF title earlier in March after winning Zuffa Boxing’s newly established belt for the weight division.

Delgado is presently ranked No. 1 by the IBF. The second spot is vacant. Duarte is in the No. 3 slot.

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Zuffa Boxing are not giving any easy fights for the Money they paying. Puerto Rican Edgar Berlanga 23-2-18 KO’s will Battle tough veteran from Serbia Radivoje ‘Hot Rod’ Kalajdzic 30-3-22 KO’s in his first fight at Light Heavyweight. #berlangakalajdzic #zuffaboxing #paramountplus #edgarberlanga #brooklynboxing

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Edgar Berlanga Faces Pressure After Zuffa Boxing Move

Edgar Berlanga is still talking like a future champion, but his career has reached a dangerous stage after losses in two of his last three fights and a damaging knockout defeat against Hamzah Sheeraz last July. Berlanga posted a message on social media this week dismissing criticism and promising to keep chasing titles.

The reaction from fans was split. Some backed Berlanga’s confidence, while others questioned whether he can still compete with the top names at 168 pounds after the Sheeraz loss exposed problems that have followed him throughout his career.

The defeat changed the way many fans look at Berlanga because it was not a close fight or a controversial decision. Sheeraz walked him down, landed clean shots, and stopped him in the fifth round. Berlanga had already lost a wide decision to Canelo Alvarez before that.

The move to Zuffa Boxing gives Berlanga, 28, another chance to rebuild his value, but it also places him inside a system that may not allow much room for failure. Dana White’s model has always favored fighters who produce results quickly and stay active, and if a fighter loses momentum, the company usually moves on fast.

That creates pressure for Berlanga because there is little appetite for slow rebuilding jobs at the top level. At 168 pounds, another loss like the Sheeraz fight would likely push him into gatekeeper territory. The decision to leave Matchroom also raised the pressure for Berlanga’s team, especially since Eddie Hearn has said he no longer plans to work with Berlanga’s manager, Keith Connolly.

There are signs that Berlanga is trying to make changes physically. Trainer Marc Farrait recently said he has stayed around 188 pounds between fights, lower than in past camps, with the goal of improving conditioning and mobility. Berlanga still has power and name recognition, but the unbeaten prospect label is gone, and he now has a short window to prove he belongs near the top rather than becoming a stepping stone for the next attraction.

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Richardson Hitchins has reportedly turned down a fight against Ricardo Salas in his Zuffa Boxing debut (@julianisjulius)

Salas scored an upset KO win over Roiman Villa in 2024 and won his Zuffa debut against Jesus Saracho in March

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[PRINCEKOOL]

The UFC at any given time only has 600 to 800 active fighters 'this is consisting of all weight divisions'.

Boxing is a by far more vast sport; with way more active fighters 'this is why in my opinion? The UFC competition model is not going to be duplicated in exactly the same way within boxing'.

Note: In Great Britain alone 'there are more active professional fighters than there are in the UFC. And that is just one country'.

So technically? When a British fighter wins the Lonsdale belt 'they have basically out competed more fighters than a so called UFC World Champion'.

Now I think the idea of ZUFFA Boxing is great, but? I don't think it will engulf the entire sport of boxing 'and if people desire this to happen, then you are promoting boxing as a sport being marginalized into an elitist sport. A sport with no clear performance tree, from domestic level all the way up to World and elite level'.

That is essentially the American way of creating sports 'NFL, NBA, NHL, they don't really have any domestic levels. Not in the same way that Rugby, Soccer, Boxing, Track and Field athletics do'.

To conclude: Overall what people need to understand? Is that most of the people who compete in sports are not world or elite level athletes 'they are competing at domestic levels. And this is important'.

And even within the professional ranks of all sports 'the more an athlete or fighters, move up through the levels. The less fighters there will be to compete against at that level'.

What ZUFFA Boxing wants to do 'is to just present this top level. But? One guy is going to be deciding who is the best. That is not how proper real global sports operate'.

In reality, the NBA, NFL, NHL 'none of those sports are global sports. There are no World Champions in those sports, just in house franchise champions'.

That is why it is important that ZUFFA boxing does not quite duplicate the UFC model 'it has to embrace the wider world of boxing' etc.

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Hitchins wants Haney or Duarte after Zuffa debut vs. Salas

Richardson Hitchins is already looking past July 26 opponent Ricardo Salas.

The two will clash at Infosys Theater in New York’s Madison Square Garden in the co-main event of Zuffa Boxing 09.

If the former IBF junior welterweight champion beats Salas, there are only two names that he’s interested in fighting next.
“After my next fight, I don't want to step in the ring with anyone else if it ain't Oscar Duarte or Devin Haney,” Hitchins wrote on social media. “Please let's make it happen, please.”

Hitchins and Haney aren't the best of friends.

For years, they’ve hurled verbal jabs at each other, however the biggest issue in making a fight between the pair was the weight disparity. Hitchins is now at welterweight, where Haney owns the WBO title, which he won against Brian Norman Jr. in the main event of "The Ring IV: Night of the Champions" last November.

As for Hitchins’ beef with Duarte, those issues began a few months ago. They were originally supposed to fight in February on "The Ring: High Stakes," but illness forced Hitchins out of the clash on fight day.

Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) hasn’t fought since stopping George Kambosos in eight lopsided rounds last year.