At Zuffa Boxing 9, Edgar Berlanga knocks out Steven Butler; Richardson Hitchins wins
A memorable clash rocked the New York boxing scene on July 27, 2026, when Edgar Berlanga secured a TKO victory over Steven Butler. The Zuffa Boxing 9 event, held at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, also saw Richardson Hitchins maintain his undefeated record with a dominant unanimous decision victory. The main fights delivered moments of great emotion and solidified important positions in the sport.
Berlanga reacts with technical knockout after tense moments
Full coverage: Latest News (EN)
The main fight between Edgar Berlanga and Steven Butler, in the super middleweight category, was marked by intense twists and turns. Berlanga, with a record of 23 wins and 2 losses (18 knockouts), was facing Butler (38-5-1, 32 knockouts), who was on a four-fight winning streak and knocked out his last opponent in March of the previous year. In the second round, Berlanga was surprised by a powerful right blow from Butler, which took him to the canvas, indicating a possible risk for the boxer.
However, the Puerto Rican fighter demonstrated resilience and recovery power. After managing to get back on his feet, Berlanga imposed his power in the following rounds, landing significant blows that shook Butler and made him stagger. His performance culminated in the seventh round, when a combination of powerful and precise blows forced the referee to stop the fight, declaring Berlanga the winner by technical knockout.
Berlanga’s path to victory on Zuffa Boxing 9
Berlanga’s win against Butler is crucial to his career, especially after facing recent adversity that tested his mettle. The boxer had suffered a knockout defeat to Hamzah Sheeraz in July of the previous year, also in New York, and a unanimous decision against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in September 2024. This triumph marks a positive return and rekindles his ambitions on the world boxing stage.
See Also
Neighbors rescue 4-year-old child after fall from 5th floor in Poland
Horoscope of the day: Predictions for Libra show a period of decisive agreements and professional success
Munich: Boeing 787 Vietnam Airlines scrapes its tail on takeoff and makes an emergency landing after taking off off the runway
Right after the fight, Berlanga already planned his next steps, challenging some of the biggest names in the category. He expressed interest in clashes with fighters such as Hamzah Sheeraz, Jaime Munguia, Chris Eubank Jr., Jermall Charlo or Caleb Plant, seeking to consolidate his position among boxing’s elite and prove his worth after recent defeats.
Richardson Hitchins shines and maintains unbeaten record at welterweight
In the co-main event, Richardson Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) made an impressive debut in the welterweight division, facing Ricardo Salas Rodriguez (24-2, 18 KOs). Hitchins, former IBF super lightweight champion, demonstrated total control of the fight from the start, dominating each of the ten rounds with precise jabs and effective combinations that gave his opponent no chance.
Hitchins’ performance was so overwhelming that he didn’t lose a single round on all the judges’ scorecards, securing a unanimous decision victory with scores of 100-90 on all three cards. His previous TKO victory over George Kambosos Jr. in June 2025 already signaled his potential, and this new triumph strengthens his reputation as a force to be reckoned with in his new division. Salas, who had an undefeated streak of five years and ten fights, saw his excellent trajectory interrupted by Hitchins’ complete dominance.
Highlights of the preliminary fights and main card of the event
Zuffa Boxing 9 also featured other important duels, both on the main card and in the preliminaries, which contributed to the excitement of the event. The matches began with the preliminaries at 5pm ET, followed by the main card at 8pm ET.
Check out the main results:
- Average weight:Jalil Hackett defeated Sergiy Derevyanchenko by unanimous decision (98-92, 97-93, 96-94)
- Heavyweight:Vladyslav Sirenko defeated Otto Wallin by knockout in the 10th round
- Welterweight:Emiliano Moreno defeated Arnold Gonzalez via unanimous decision (79-73, 78-74 ×2)
- Heavy weight:Kashaun Davis defeated Mihai Nistor via unanimous decision (80-71×2, 79-72)
- Featherweight:Troy Nash defeated Ethan Perez via majority decision (76-76, 79-73, 79-73)
- Super feather:Andres Sosa defeated Dominique Francis by unanimous decision (79-72, 78-73, 77-73)
