“I want Chris Eubank,” Berlanga said. “I’ve been talking about him for a long time. I think that’ll be a big mega fight in London. We could get it on in November, December. I’m really trying to shoot for that fight.”
Should Eubank prove unavailable, Berlanga already has alternatives in mind.
“If he’s not on the menu, then you got Jaime Munguia, that’s a big fight. Mexico versus Puerto Rico is going to be a big night. You got Caleb Plant. I don’t know if he’s still retired or if he’s coming back. You got Jermall Charlo. That’s a great fight as well,” Berlanga said.
Those callouts reveal a clear pattern. Berlanga is targeting established names with proven commercial appeal rather than the younger contenders at 168 pounds.
Eubank Jr. also figures to be the most expensive option. British media reported career-high purses for his two fights with Conor Benn, leaving him with little incentive to accept a smaller payday. If Zuffa wants to secure that matchup, it may have to commit significant money.
That leaves Zuffa with an important financial decision.
As a pay-per-view event, Berlanga against Eubank is not an obvious blockbuster in the United States. Eubank remains a recognizable attraction in Britain, but he lacks a large American following. Berlanga, meanwhile, is still rebuilding his value after last year’s knockout loss to Hamzah Sheeraz.
The equation changes if Zuffa intends to build its boxing business around Paramount+. Under that model, attracting new subscribers becomes more important than maximizing revenue from a single event.
The financial return remains difficult to project. Would Berlanga against Eubank convince enough fans to subscribe to Paramount+ to justify that level of spending? Neither fighter has proven he can consistently attract a broad casual audience in the United States.
Plant and Charlo may prove more economical alternatives if Eubank’s asking price proves too steep. Munguia remains another attractive possibility because of his established fan base and the built-in Mexico versus Puerto Rico storyline.
Beyond his immediate options, Berlanga made it clear that one rematch remains his long-term objective.
“We want that Hamzah Sheeraz fight. I want that smoke. But before I get that smoke, I want a world title,” said Berlanga. “I want to take it from either Munguia or one of these guys. So that way when we do meet up with Hamzah Sheeraz, he’s gonna have the WBO, I’mma have a world title, and we could do a unification fight.”
Zuffa’s next move may come down to a straightforward business calculation. Which fight gives the company the best chance to grow its audience without overspending on a single event?
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