Zuffa Boxing Expands Roster with Berlanga and Hitchins Signings

The promotion continues to build its stable of top boxing talent.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 2:22am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the dynamic movement and energy of a boxing match, with sharp, overlapping shapes and planes in a vibrant color palette.Zuffa Boxing's signing of rising stars Berlanga and Hitchins signals the promotion's ambition to challenge the traditional boxing establishment.Brooklyn Today

Zuffa Boxing has added two more fighters to its active roster, signing undefeated junior welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins and super middleweight contender Edger Berlanga. Both fighters expressed excitement about the opportunity to compete on Zuffa Boxing's platform and showcase their skills against the world's best.

Why it matters

Zuffa Boxing, the combat sports promotion founded by Dana White, is making a major push into the boxing world by signing top-tier talent like Berlanga and Hitchins. This continues the company's strategy of expanding beyond its UFC roots and challenging the traditional boxing establishment.

The details

Berlanga, a 23-2 super middleweight with 18 knockouts, previously fought Canelo Alvarez in a high-profile bout in 2024. Hitchins, an undefeated 28-year-old from Brooklyn, is the reigning IBF junior welterweight champion, having won the title in 2022 and successfully defended it against George Kambosos Jr. last year.

  • Berlanga signed with Zuffa Boxing in April 2026.
  • Hitchins signed with Zuffa Boxing in April 2026.

The players

Edger Berlanga

A 23-2 super middleweight boxer with 18 knockouts, Berlanga previously fought Canelo Alvarez in a high-profile bout in 2024.

Richardson Hitchins

An undefeated 28-year-old boxer from Brooklyn, Hitchins is the reigning IBF junior welterweight champion, having won the title in 2022 and successfully defended it against George Kambosos Jr. last year.

Dana White

The founder and president of Zuffa Boxing, the combat sports promotion that is expanding into the boxing world.

Nick Khan

A senior executive at Zuffa Boxing who helped bring Berlanga and Hitchins onto the promotion's active fighter roster.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Edger Berlanga, Boxer

“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.”

— Richardson Hitchins, Boxer

What’s next

Berlanga and Hitchins are expected to make their Zuffa Boxing debuts in the coming months, with the promotion likely to announce their first fight cards and opponents in the near future.

The takeaway

Zuffa Boxing's signings of Berlanga and Hitchins demonstrate the promotion's ambition to become a major player in the boxing world by attracting top-tier talent. This move could shake up the traditional boxing landscape and provide fans with high-profile matchups between Zuffa's stable of fighters and established stars.