On April 8, 2026, Dana White's Zuffa Boxing made its most significant talent acquisition to date - signing super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga and IBF super lightweight champion Richardson Hitchins to multi-fight deals. The move signals that Zuffa's ambitions in professional boxing are accelerating fast.
Both fighters are managed by Keith Connolly and hail from Brooklyn, New York - a city with a rich and storied boxing tradition. They now join a growing Zuffa stable that already boasts names like Conor Benn and cruiserweight sensation Jai Opetaia. If White's track record in combat sports is any indication, the platform these fighters are about to receive could be career-defining.
Edgar Berlanga: The Road Back to Contention
At 23-2 with 18 knockouts, Edgar Berlanga remains one of the most physically gifted super middleweights in the sport. But the last two years have been a test of character. His unanimous decision loss to Canelo Álvarez in September 2024 exposed vulnerabilities at the elite level, though most felt Berlanga acquitted himself reasonably well against pound-for-pound royalty.
He responded with a TKO victory over Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz in early 2025 - a necessary confidence reset. Then came the gut punch: a knockout loss to the surging British star Hamzah Sheeraz in July 2025, a result that forced a serious reckoning with his trajectory at 168 pounds.
Now, the 28-year-old is plotting a comeback expected sometime this summer, with whispers of a potential move up to the light heavyweight division. A fresh start under Zuffa, with the promotional muscle to match, could be exactly what Berlanga needs to relaunch his title ambitions on a bigger stage.
Richardson Hitchins: The Champion Looking for His Moment
While Berlanga is chasing redemption, Richardson Hitchins arrives as a reigning titleholder. The IBF super lightweight champion is slick, disciplined, and criminally underexposed - a problem Zuffa Boxing looks well-positioned to solve. Hitchins has the tools to be a genuine star in the 140-pound division, and a platform that prioritizes pay-per-view eyeballs could finally give him the mainstream breakout moment his talent deserves.
What This Means for Zuffa Boxing
Dana White has made no secret of his intentions: build a boxing promotion built on marketable fighters, big matchmaking, and the kind of event infrastructure the UFC mastered. Signing two Brooklyn fighters with legitimate title credentials and crossover appeal fits that blueprint perfectly.
The Berlanga-Hitchins double signing is a statement. Zuffa Boxing is no longer just a side project - it's becoming a destination.
Where do you see Edgar Berlanga's future: redemption at super middleweight, or a fresh chapter at light heavyweight? Sound off below.
