Because Zuffa does not recognize the 140-pound class, Richardson Hitchins is effectively a man without a division. This leaves him with only two realistic paths: Vacate his IBF Title: To stay with Zuffa, he would have to abandon his status as the 140-pound champion.
“This is a major step forward in my career,” said Hitchins. “I’m very grateful 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.”
He would have to jump to Welterweight, a division Zuffa does support, but one where he will face significantly larger and more powerful opponents.
If Zuffa really wants to make this work, they’d almost have to build the entire welterweight division around Hitchins, but why would they do that for a guy who has a history of being difficult to get into the ring?
Hitchins could thrive at welterweight with careful matchmaking, but that is the exact opposite of the Zuffa/UFC brand.
If Hitchins tries to manage his career within a promotion designed for maximum output, he could find himself benched. He’s a fighter who needs careful matchmaking, but he just signed with a promoter who likes to make entertaining fights that fans ant to see.
If he gets matched with a high-pressure welterweight who doesn’t respect his power because, let’s be honest, he’s not a one-punch knockout artist, he’s going to be in a world of trouble. Without the ability to negotiate his way around the sharks, he’s essentially volunteered to be fish food if his skills don’t evolve overnight.
Edgar Berlanga, by comparison, fits the Zuffa structure without adjustment. He is already campaigning at 168 and does not depend on a title to remain relevant.
“Zuffa Boxing is changing the game,” said Berlanga. “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!”
Berlanga has lived in a laboratory-sealed environment for his entire career. If Zuffa builds a walled garden where he only fights a fixed list of in-house names, they can keep the wheels on the wagon for a while longer by selling his personality and New York/Puerto Rican marketability.
Putting Berlanga into the general population of boxing would be a real problem for him. At 168 pounds, the difference between a name like Berlanga and the actual elite is a canyon.
If Zuffa actually follows the UFC model of matchmaking, Berlanga cannot be maneuvered anymore. In a league that forces the best to fight the best, Berlanga loses his only real value. Once he loses three or four times in a row against legitimate contenders, the “Chosen One” branding loses its meaning.
As we saw in the Canelo and Sheeraz fights, his footwork is heavy, and his defensive IQ is basic. If Berlanga is forced to share the water with the likes of David Benavidez, Christian Mbilli, or even a rising killer like Diego Pacheco without the protection of a careful promoter, he gets taken apart.
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