Malignaggi pointed to the timing between Hitchins’ withdrawal from the fight and the announcement of the Zuffa deal, suggesting that the decision may have been influenced by the risk of a loss.
“It comes off as if Hitchins might actually have been able to fight Duarte and was told, ‘Look, this contract is already being made. We’ve got to make something up and not fight Duarte.’ So, that’s what he did instead,” Malignaggi said on ProBox TV.
Malignaggi said the situation appeared to be linked to the deal being close to completion before it was publicly announced.
“It seems to me if I had to guess. I think it’s more not that he evaded Duarte. This deal was already on the table. It was already about to be signed or maybe signed, and it wasn’t announced,” he said.
Malignaggi said the risk of losing Duarte could have influenced the deal.
“He said, ‘Listen, it’s contingent on you not losing the Duarte fight. You can’t take a risk in the Duarte fight and go the other way.’ is it a duck In some ways, yes,” Malignaggi said.
Many fans questioned the timing of Hitchins’ retirement on the day of the fight, especially given the matchup.
Duarte is a pressure fighter with a similar style to Gustavo Lemos, who gave Hitchins problems in their previous fight. That style match was considered a tough test heading into the fight.
Hitchins has not publicly linked his withdrawal to the Zuffa deal. No official explanation beyond the initial withdrawal has been confirmed.
