Because Zuffa does not recognize the 140-pound class, Richardson Hitchins is effectively a man without a division. That leaves him with only two realistic paths: Vacate his IBF title: To stay with Zuffa, he will have to relinquish his status as the 140-pound champion.
“This is a big step forward in my career,” Hitchins said. “I’m very grateful to have given a kid from Brooklyn the opportunity to fight on the biggest stage against the world’s best fighters. Zuffa Boxing in my corner I’m going to show the world that I’m a pound-for-pound, generational fighter.”
He will have to jump up to welterweight, a division that Zuffa does support, but one where he will face significantly bigger and more powerful opponents.
If Zuffa really want to make it work, they’ll have to build almost the entire welterweight division around Hitchins, but why would they do that to a guy who has a history of being difficult to get in the ring?
Hitchins can thrive at welterweight with careful matchups, but that’s the exact opposite of the Zuffa/UFC brand.
If Hitchins tries to manage his career within a promotion designed for maximum output, he could find himself on the bench. He’s a fighter who needs close matchups, but he just signed with a promoter who likes to make entertaining fights that fans don’t get to see.
If he’s matched up with a high-pressure welterweight who doesn’t respect his power because, let’s face it, he’s not a one-touch knockout artist, he’s going to be in a world of trouble. Without the ability to negotiate his way around the sharks, he essentially volunteers to be fish food if his skills don’t develop overnight.
Edgar Berlanga, by comparison, fits the Zuffa structure without adjustment. He’s already campaigning at 168 and isn’t dependent on a title to stay relevant.
“Zuffa Boxing is changing the game,” said Berlanga. “I’m here for the biggest fights on boxing’s best platform. I’m here to elevate the super middleweight division. ‘The Monster’ is back!”
Berlanga lived his entire career in a laboratory-sealed environment. If Zuffa builds a walled garden where he only fights a fixed list of internal names, they can keep the wheels on the wagon for a while longer by selling his personality and New York/Puerto Rican marketability.
Putting Berlanga in the general population of boxing would be a real problem for him. At 168 pounds, the difference between a name like Berlanga and the actual elite is a canyon.
If Zuffa actually follows the UFC model of matchups, Berlanga can no longer be outmaneuvered. In a league that forces the best to fight the best, Berlanga loses his only real value. Once he loses three or four times in a row against legitimate competitors, the “Chosen One” brand loses its meaning.
As we saw in the Canelo and Sheeraz fights, his footwork is heavy, and his defensive IQ is basic. If Berlanga is forced to share the water with the likes of David Benavidez, Christian Mbilli, or even an up-and-coming killer like Diego Pacheco without the protection of a wary promoter, he is torn apart.
