Hitchins Confident Ahead of Duarte Title Defense

IBF Junior Welterweight Champion Believes He Has the Skills to Prevail

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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IBF junior welterweight titleholder Richardson Hitchins is set to make the second defense of his title against challenger Oscar Duarte on the undercard of the Mario Barrios-Ryan Garcia pay-per-view event on Saturday night. Hitchins believes he has the superior boxing skills to defeat Duarte, who has scored some impressive wins over tough opponents recently.

Why it matters

This fight represents a key step for both fighters in their careers. A win for Hitchins could potentially set up a title unification bout, while a victory for Duarte would be a career-defining achievement. The outcome of this matchup could have significant implications for the junior welterweight division.

The details

Hitchins (16-0, 7 KOs) will be making the second defense of the IBF junior welterweight title he won in 2024. He is confident that his superior boxing skills will be the difference against Duarte (18-2-1, 9 KOs), who has scored wins over tough opponents like Kenneth Sims Jr., Batyr Akhmedov, and Joseph Diaz Jr. since suffering an eighth-round knockout loss to Ryan Garcia in 2023.

  • The Barrios-Garcia PPV event will take place on Saturday, February 25, 2026 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
  • Hitchins and Duarte will compete in the co-main event, with the main event between Barrios and Garcia.

The players

Richardson Hitchins

The reigning IBF junior welterweight champion, who is making the second defense of his title.

Oscar Duarte

The challenger, who has won four fights in a row since suffering a loss to Ryan Garcia in 2023.

Mario Barrios

The main event fighter, who will be taking on Ryan Garcia in a highly anticipated matchup.

Ryan Garcia

The opponent for Barrios in the main event, and the fighter who previously defeated Duarte.

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What they’re saying

“He's fought good guys, tough guys, but none of those guys are boxers, you know, really boxers.”

— Richardson Hitchins, IBF Junior Welterweight Champion (substack.com)

What’s next

A win for Hitchins could potentially set up a title unification bout against the winner of the Barrios-Garcia main event.

The takeaway

This fight represents an important opportunity for both Hitchins and Duarte to make a statement in the junior welterweight division. Hitchins believes his superior boxing skills will be the difference, but Duarte has proven he can defeat tough opponents, setting the stage for an intriguing matchup.