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Zuffa Boxing Announces Its Latest Major Signings

The two fighters signed multi-fight deals with the upstart promotion.
Dana White
Dana White | IMAGO / Inpho Photography

Zuffa Boxing, the joint venture between Dana White, TKO Group and Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, is making major waves in the professional boxing industry yet again.

Officially launched in January 2026, the new promotion seeks to introduce a centralized, UFC-style league model featuring a single world title and unified internal rankings. Their partnership with Turki Alalshikh, along with a distribution deal with Paramount+, is shifting the sport’s power dynamic.

Continuing the brand’s momentum, Zuffa Boxing today announced the signing of Richardson Hitchins and Edgar Berlanga, who have entered into multi-fight deals with the promotion, according to a press release obtained by KO On SI.

Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) joins Zuffa Boxing as one of the best super lightweight fighters in the world. A native of Brooklyn, New York, he captured his first world title in 2024 with a victory over then-unbeaten Liam Paro in Puerto Rico. Before turning pro, Hitchens represented Haiti in the 2016 Summer Olympics. 

“This is a major step forward in my career,” said Hitchins. "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."

Berlanga (23-2, 18 KOs) is seeking to reclaim one of the prize spots in the highly competitive super middleweight division.

“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!”

Edgar Berlanga
Edgar Berlanga | Melina Pizano/Matchroom Boxing

“Thank you to Dana White, Nick Khan, and the entire Zuffa Boxing team for believing in my talent. I also want to thank my father, Edgar Berlanga Sr., and my manager, Keith Connolly, for always guiding me in the right direction, and this move is no different,” Berlanga continued. This is going to be a special journey.”

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

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. 

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Rashad Grove
RASHAD GROVE

Rashad Grove is a contributing writer for KO On SI and a lifelong boxing fan based in Princeton, New Jersey. His work has appeared on Kicks On Sports Illustrated, BET.com, Ebony Magazine, Complex, MTV.com, The Root HOT97/WBLS, Forbes, Billboard, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He has interviewed legends of the sport such as Mike Tyson, Terence Crawford, Anthony Joshua, and Canelo Álvarez, just to name a few.

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