Zuffa Boxing 09: Berlanga and Hitchins headline MSG card
The upstart Zuffa Boxing promotion continues its expansion with a major New York debut, featuring a ten-round main event between Edgar Berlanga and Steven Butler, and a welterweight clash between Richardson Hitchins and Ricardo Salas.
Zuffa Boxing presents its ninth event on Sunday, July 26, at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The promotion, which has expanded rapidly in its first six months, utilizes this card to solidify its presence in the United States market. The event features a loaded fight card with preliminary bouts beginning at 5 p.m. ET and the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET, broadcast live on Paramount+.
The main event pits former super middleweight title challenger Edgar Berlanga against Canadian Steven Butler in a ten-round bout. Berlanga, who holds a record of 23 wins and two losses, is seeking to rebound from a one-year layoff and a fifth-round knockout defeat to Hamzah Sheeraz in 2024. This follows a twelve-round loss to Canelo Alvarez earlier that same year. Berlanga has stated he aims to evolve his skill set, presenting himself as a "pure boxer" with strong ring IQ rather than relying solely on power.
Butler, nicknamed "Bang Bang," brings a record of 38 wins, five losses, and one draw to the ring. He is 6-1 since his second-round knockout loss to Janibek Alimkhanuly in 2023, with all six of those wins coming by knockout. In 2024, Butler scored a first-round knockout of Steve Rolls, who previously went the ten-round distance with Berlanga two years prior. A heated face-off between the two fighters on Thursday required officials to separate them.
The co-headliner features former IBF junior welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins moving up to welterweight to face Ricardo Salas in another ten-round contest. Hitchins, who is undefeated at 20-0, vacated his IBF title in April after signing with Zuffa Boxing, having previously defended the belt against George Kambosos Jr. in June 2025. Salas has won his last six fights, including five by stoppage, following an upset knockout of Roiman Villa in 2024 and a second-round TKO of Kent Cruz in early 2025.
CBS Sports analysts predict Berlanga via TKO in the eighth round and Hitchins via unanimous decision in the tenth round. The event marks a significant operational step for Zuffa Boxing as it integrates new talent and venues into its growing portfolio.
