IBF junior welterweight champ Richardson Hitchins and super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga have become the latest fighters to join Zuffa Boxing, as it was announced on Wednesday.
Zuffa Boxing revealed Wednesday that it has secured multi-fight promotional agreements with super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga and IBF junior welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins, marking another set of steps forward for the Saudi-backed promotion.
The additions of Berlanga and Hitchins build on an already notable roster that includes lineal but now former IBF cruiserweight world champion, Jai Opetaia and welterweight Conor Benn, who is in action this weekend and is reportedly signed on a one-fight deal worth $15 million.
Zuffa Boxing is led by Dana White of the UFC and WWE executive Nick Khan, and continues to aggressively position itself as a disruptive force in professional boxing.
The 28 year old Berlanga, 23-2, 18 KOs, remains one of the most recognizable names in the super middleweight division despite recent setbacks. The Puerto Rican fighter has lost two of his last three bouts, including a decision loss to then-unified champion Canelo Alvarez in 2024.
Though knocked down in the third round, Berlanga exceeded expectations by going the distance. He rebounded with a quick first-round knockout win over Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz to close out his Matchroom Boxing contract, but momentum stalled again, when he suffered a devastating fifth-round knockout loss to undefeated Hamzah Sheeraz in a hometown headliner in New York last July.
“Zuffa Boxing is changing the game,” Berlanga said in the Zuffa announcement. “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.”
As for Hitchins, the 28 year old is, 20-0, 8 KOs, and the Brooklyn native and 2016 Olympian claimed the IBF junior welterweight belt in December 2024 with a split-decision win over Liam Paro. He successfully defended the belt in June 2025, scoring an emphatic eighth-round knockout over former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr. That bout marked the end of his own Matchroom Boxing deal.
“This is a major step forward in my career,” Hitchins said in the announcement. “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.”
A planned second Hitchins title defense against Oscar Duarte in February was canceled after Hitchins fell ill on fight day. Since then, the IBF has ordered him to face mandatory challenger Lindolfo Delgado, a bout Hitchins is expected to pursue.
But, obviously the previous issues with the Optetaia defense and him ultimately being stripped will complicate what happens next for Hitchins.
Berlanga, Hitchins, and Benn are all represented by Keith Connolly, a two-time and reigning Manager of the Year, further strengthening the connection between Zuffa Boxing and top-tier managerial talent.
Both Berlanga and Hitchins are expected to debut under the Zuffa banner later this Summer.