He doesn’t need this fight either. Berlanga was stopped by Hamzah Sheeraz in five rounds. There’s not much upside in beating someone coming off that kind of loss, and it’s going to be tough to lose to him.
Berlanga, 28, dropped a wide decision to Canelo Alvarez in September 2024, then bounced back in March 2025 with a first-round knockout of 35-year-old Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz. It was a manageable struggle to steady him. Four months later, Sheeraz knocked him out.
The normal move after such a loss is a ranked super middleweight opponent. Kevin Lele Sadjo, Bektemir Melikuziev, Isleys Iglesias, or Aslambek Idigov fit that path. Several of those fights would likely have Berlanga entering as the underdog, without the benefit of a big stage.
Instead, he hired Eubank Jr. targeted, who has spent much of the past few years campaigning at 160 lbs. Berlanga is obviously the bigger man at 168. Even at catchweight, the size advantage favors him more than it would against established contenders in the division.
Since losing to Billy Joe Saunders in 2014, Eubank Jr. building his record on recognizable opposition such as Arthur Abraham, James DeGale, Liam Smith and Conor Benn. In his world title fight with George Groves, he was outboxed in twelve rounds. He remains a viable lead actor in Britain.
From Berlanga’s side, the logic is simple. Eubank Jr. is a name. London is a stage. The wallet would be strong. If he’s going to take on another risky fight so soon after the Sheeraz loss, it makes more sense to do it there than to face an opponent most casual fans barely know.
