Highlights! Berlanga Shines In Zuffa Boxing Debut With Massive TKO — Yahoo Sports

RESOLVING THE LEDGER

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 26: Edgar Berlanga punches Steven Butler during a super middleweight bout at Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden on July 26, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Both Edgar Berlanga and Richardson Hitchins were signed by Zuffa Boxing at the same time earlier this year, so it was only fitting that the two sluggers would make their debuts on the same night.

Indeed, Berlanga headlined Zuffa Boxing 9 last night (Sun. July 26, 2026) inside Infosys Theater in Madison Square Garden opposite Steven Butler in a 12-round 168-pound fight. From the jump, it was obvious that the two men’s objective was to go head-hunting, as they wasted no time in in swinging the leather. In round two, it was Butler who managed to clip Berlanga and send him to the canvas.

And the hits just kept coming as both men never let up, letting it all hang out looking for the home run shot. As the first half of the fight wore on, it was Berlanga who was finding his rhythm, landing the cleaner punches. In round seven, Berlanga was able to connect on a four-punch combo that had Butler hurt, forcing the referee on duty to step in and put an end to the fight, nearly falling out of the ring holding on to Bulter, in the process.

It’s a great win for Berlanga, who bounces back following his knockout loss to Hamzah Sheeraz a year ago ( see it again here ).

As for Hitchins, he was tasked with co-headlining the event against Ricardo Salas in a 147-pound bout. Once the dust settled, Hitchins had done enough to secure a unanimous decision win, improving his overall record to 22-0.

Check out the full results and highlights below:

BUTLER KNOCKS DOWN BERLANGA 😨 #ZuffaBoxing09 | 📺 https://t.co/59YzXQz8h5 pic.twitter.com/3ghVeZM43x