Edgar Berlanga and Richardson Hitchins join Zuffa Boxing.
Zuffa Boxing has welcomed two prominent fighters to their expanding roster, with Edgar Berlanga and IBF junior welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins signing multifight agreements, as announced by the promotion on Wednesday.
Brooklyn’s Berlanga (23-2, 18 KOs) commenced his professional journey with 16 first-round knockouts and eventually faced Canelo Alvarez in 2024, a match he lost by unanimous decision. In his most recent fight in July 2025, he was defeated in the fifth round by Hamzah Sheeraz. Berlanga, 28, is currently ranked No. 10 in the super middleweight category by ESPN. The Puerto Rican athlete aims to return to victory with the support of his new promoter.
“Zuffa Boxing is transforming the landscape,” Berlanga stated. “I’m here for the most significant fights on boxing’s premier platform. I’m ready to make an impact in the super middleweight division. ‘The Monster’ is back! I appreciate Dana White, Nick Khan, and the entire Zuffa Boxing team for having faith in my abilities. I also want to express my gratitude to my father, Edgar Berlanga Sr., and my manager, Keith Connolly, for consistently steering me in the right direction, and this decision is no exception. This is going to be an extraordinary journey.”
Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs), also from Brooklyn, New York, is presently ranked as ESPN’s No. 4 junior welterweight and has been performing exceptionally well recently. He captured the IBF title by defeating Liam Paro via split decision and successfully defended it with a commanding eighth-round stoppage of George Kambosos Jr. last June.
“This represents a significant advancement in my career,” Hitchins remarked. “I am extremely thankful for this chance, and I want to thank Dana White, Nick Khan, and my manager, Keith Connolly, for providing a kid from Brooklyn the opportunity to compete on the grandest stage against the best fighters in the world. With Zuffa Boxing supporting me, I will demonstrate to everyone that I am a pound-for-pound, generational talent.”
Hitchins, 28, was scheduled to defend his title against Oscar Duarte as the co-main event for Ryan Garcia’s decision victory over Mario Barrios in February. However, Hitchins reportedly became ill due to a challenging weight cut and was withdrawn from his title defense on the day of the event.
Both fighters are represented by Keith Connolly, who also manages Conor Benn. Zuffa Boxing signed Benn in February.
It is noteworthy that Zuffa Boxing’s announcement does not reference Hitchins as the IBF champion. The promotion has recently had disagreements with the IBF regarding cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia’s participation in the inaugural Zuffa Boxing Cruiserweight Championship. Opetaia was stripped of the title by the IBF due to his involvement in Zuffa’s championship match.
