The IBF 140lb titleholder took to social media to respond to criticism following his withdrawal from a planned defense against Oscar Duarte and his move to Zuffa Boxing, saying opponents are guaranteed their attention regardless of what they say publicly.
“You hate ass Mfs can say what you want, but the truth of the matter is you’re still going to tune into my next fight. As soon as I get on that screen. You know, the truth is going to act, and I’m great at what I do,” Hitchins said on X.
While Hitchins tries to play it cool by claiming the hate is just guaranteed attention, his recent social media activity suggests he feels the need to defend his reputation more than ever.
The consequences of that withdrawal on February 21st against Oscar Duarte was a huge blow to his standing with the hardcore fans. Pulling out on the day of the fight is almost unheard of at the championship level, and when you combine that with his history of avoiding the most dangerous names in the division, it’s easy to see why the duck narrative stuck.
Fans are still hot on the fact that a fight with Keyshawn Davis went through earlier this year. While Hitchins’ camp blamed money, fans saw it as another example of him taking on a high-risk, high-reward challenge.
Hitchins signing with Zuffa Boxing in April 2026 only added fuel to the fire. By moving to a promotion that doesn’t even have a 140-pound ranking system, he effectively walked away from his IBF obligations.
For many fans, it was an exit strategy to avoid the mandatory challengers and rescheduling with Duarte. His recent posts about being “good at what I do” feel like an attempt to create a reality that the public isn’t buying yet.
