Zuffa Boxing Announces Signing of Top Prospects Hitchins and Berlanga

The new boxing promotion continues to make waves with high-profile talent acquisitions.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 7:38pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the intense action and movement of a boxing match, with sharp, overlapping planes of color representing the fighters and their competition.Zuffa Boxing's bold signings of rising stars Hitchins and Berlanga signal the promotion's ambitions to reshape the power dynamics of professional boxing.Brooklyn Today

Zuffa Boxing, the joint venture between Dana White, TKO Group, and Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, has announced the signing of two top boxing prospects - Richardson Hitchins and Edgar Berlanga. Hitchins, a super lightweight world champion from Brooklyn, and Berlanga, a hard-hitting super middleweight, have both entered into multi-fight deals with the promotion as it seeks to establish a centralized, UFC-style league model for professional boxing.

Why it matters

Zuffa Boxing's partnership with Turki Alalshikh and distribution deal with Paramount+ is seen as a major shift in the power dynamics of the boxing industry, challenging the traditional promotional model. The signing of rising stars like Hitchins and Berlanga is a significant move that could help the new promotion attract top talent and build a strong stable of fighters.

The details

Richardson Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) is one of the best super lightweight fighters in the world, having captured his first world title in 2024 with a victory over then-unbeaten Liam Paro. Edgar Berlanga (23-2, 18 KOs) is seeking to reclaim a top spot in the highly competitive super middleweight division after a recent loss. Both fighters have entered into multi-fight deals with Zuffa Boxing and will participate in a live Q&A with the promotion's Max Kellerman ahead of the UFC 327 weigh-ins on April 10.

  • Hitchins' last fight was in June 2025 against George Kambosos Jr., where he won by 8th round TKO.
  • Berlanga's last fight was a loss to Hamzah Sheeraz in July 2025.

The players

Zuffa Boxing

A new professional boxing promotion launched in January 2026 as a joint venture between Dana White, TKO Group, and Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority. Zuffa Boxing seeks to introduce a centralized, UFC-style league model for the sport.

Richardson Hitchins

A 20-0 (8 KOs) super lightweight fighter from Brooklyn, New York, who captured his first world title in 2024 with a victory over Liam Paro. Hitchins has now signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing.

Edgar Berlanga

A 23-2 (18 KOs) super middleweight fighter seeking to reclaim a top spot in his division after a recent loss. Berlanga has signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing.

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What they’re saying

“This is a major step forward in my career. 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.”

— Richardson Hitchins

“Zuffa Boxing is changing the game. 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!”

— Edgar Berlanga

What’s next

Berlanga and Hitchins are set to appear at a live Q&A with Zuffa Boxing's Max Kellerman ahead of the UFC 327 weigh-ins at the Kaseya Center in Miami at 4 pm ET on Friday, April 10. The event will be live-streamed on Zuffa Boxing's on all the promotion's platforms.

The takeaway

Zuffa Boxing's ability to sign top boxing prospects like Hitchins and Berlanga demonstrates the promotion's growing influence and potential to disrupt the traditional power structures in the sport. The centralized, UFC-style model they are pursuing could reshape the future of professional boxing.