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Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing have continued to bolster their stable with the acquisition of Richardson Hitchins and Edgar Berlanga.

After conquering the world of MMA, UFC chief White has entered the world of boxing with his new promotional outfit Zuffa, staging several events since the start of the year.

So far their biggest signings have been cruiserweight supreme Jai Opetaia and British star Conor Benn, but now more notable names have joined the Zuffa ranks in the form of Hitchins and Berlanga, who have each signed multi-fight deals with the promotion.

Hitchins is the current IBF super-lightweight champion after winning the belt back in December 2024, and while he is seen as one of the best 140lb fighters in the world, whether he will be able to keep hold of that title after signing with Zuffa remains to be seen.

It has been stated previously that Zuffa doesn’t plan to recognise the governing bodies, and that came to a head last month in the bout between Opetaia and Brandon Glanton, with the IBF stripping the Australian of his belt due to proceeding with the contest.

The same outcome could then occur for Hitchins, who was set to defend that belt against Oscar Duarte back in February, before the match-up was cancelled on the day of the fight due to the champion falling ill.

As for Berlanga, the former world title challenger is hoping to get back to winning ways following his fifth round stoppage defeat to Hamzah Sheeraz in New York last July.

Upon launch, Zuffa did not recognise super-lightweight or super-middleweight, instead focusing on the traditional weight classes, so it is currently unknown whether or not Hitchins and Berlanga will have to compete in other respective divisions.

The super-middleweight division is set to crown its new king, and the man to truly succeed Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford may be one with 14 professional bouts to his name.

In September last year, Crawford trumped Canelo to become undisputed super-middleweight champion but retired three months later and left the 168lb world titles fragmented.

Christian Mbilli was upgraded to WBC champion and is being linked to a clash with Canelo, whilst Jose Armando Resendiz was named WBA world champion and he defends his title against Jaime Munguia in May.

Meanwhile, the IBF and WBO opted for vacant title fights following Crawford’s retirement, with Hamzah Sheeraz and Alem Begic set to compete for the latter next month, whilst Osleys Iglesias and Pavel Silyagin collide for the IBF strap on Thursday in Montreal.

Iglesias, who has won by stoppage in 13 of his 14 bouts, is on an impressive 8-fight knockout streak and is deemed by many to be the bogeyman of the division. Now, the Cuban southpaw – ranked number one with the sanctioning body – has a chance to announce himself to the world and he vows to ‘take what belongs to him’.

“I know I’m facing a very experienced opponent, and I thank him for accepting the challenge. But I believe this opportunity has come to me for a reason.

“I will be ready to take what belongs to me. May the best man win — and as always, that will be me.”

In Silyagin – ranked number 7 – Iglesias is tasked with a more experienced operator, with a recent win over previously unbeaten Pablo Exequiel Corzo proving that he is capable of pulling off the upset here.

However, Camile Estephan, President of Eye of the Tiger Promotions, said that Igleisas’ talent will shine through, believing that the 28-year-old has the potential to be a pound-for-pound star.

“Make no mistake about the challenge ahead of us: Pavel Silyagin is a world-class boxer.

“However, we believe Osleys Iglesias has generational talent, with the potential to be not only among the elite at super-middleweight, but among the global elite — pound-for-pound.”

Estephan has previously spoke of his willingness to stage a unification clash between Iglesias and Mbilli, whom he also promotes, but neither he nor Iglesias will be looking too far into the future, with his scrap with Silyagin certainly no foregone conclusion.

Iglesias-Silyagin take places on Thursday, as the 168lb division move a step closer to getting back on track after Crawford hung up the gloves.

Famed trainer, commentator and fight analyst Teddy Atlas recently listed what he believes to be the top 10 welterweight fighters in boxing history.

Known for his knowledge of the history of the fight game, Atlas’ opinion is one of the most respected in the sport and, with the rich history of the welterweight scene, he had a host of legends to pick from when determining whom he believes to have been the greatest.

In the modern era, stars such as Floyd Mayweather, Felix Trinidad and Terence Crawford have competed at 157; none of those three men losing a fight at the weight.

However, the division goes much deeper, and speaking on his YouTube channel, the Atlas opted for a more traditional pick, declaring ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson to be the standout and explaining why the Ailey-born phenomenon should have conquered a third division.

“[He] may be the greatest fighter of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson. 173 wins, 19 losses, most of ‘em when he was old, six draws, 108 knockouts. That is a lot of knockouts. That is a lot of fights.

“He had a 91-fight unbeaten streak – that is pretty good. Those losses, like I said, most of ‘em came when he was old, way beyond his prime. Welter and middleweight champ, he would have won the light-heavyweight title too.

“He was fighting [Joey Maxim] at Yankee Stadium, it was about 105 degrees in the ring on a summer night outdoors in June. The referee got carried out earlier from heat prostration, he got carried out of the ring – it was that hot, it was that brutal.

“I forget what round it was, it was a very late round [13] and Robinson collapsed. He was ahead in the fight, he was going to win the light-heavyweight title and he collapsed from heat prostration, just like the referee had done four or five rounds earlier.”

Robinson never fought at 175lbs again during his professional career, retiring as one of, if not, the most extraordinary and dominant welterweight and middleweight rulers to have graced the sport.

This time next month, all eyes will be on Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois as they collide in an intriguing battle for the WBO heavyweight world title. Now, Filip Hrgovic, who faced Dubois back in 2024, has laid out his prediction for the fight.

Dubois and Hrgovic went toe-to-toe in a scintillating scrap for the IBF interim heavyweight title almost two years ago, where the Croatian suffered his first professional defeat despite a dominant start to the contest.

Victory for ‘Triple D’ saw him then upgraded to full IBF world champion, and he went on to halt Anthony Joshua to prove he was a worthy heavyweight ruler before losing his title to Oleksandr Usyk. He now looks to bounce back in a third straight world title bout, this time against newly crowned WBO titleholder Wardley.

Speaking to iFL TV, Hrgovic said that he favours Dubois in the clash, predicting that the Londoner will become the United Kingdom’s fifth two-time heavyweight champion.

“Yeah, I give him the advantage. I think that he will win.”

‘El Animal’ then went on to reveal both his eagerness to fight Dubois once again and his doubts as to whether such an opportunity will ever arise.

“I want to have a rematch with him [Dubois] one day.”

“That [rematch for the WBO world title] would be great but I don’t think that is happening because I am not from Great Britain. You motherf***ers give your guys all of the opportunities!”

Wardley-Dubois takes place on Saturday, May 9, at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, while Hrgovic takes on Dave Allen at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster the following week.

Deontay Wilder’s triumph over Derek Chisora means a long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua could be back on the cards. Now, super-middleweight legend Carl Froch has offered his thoughts on the proposed clash.

In a wild fight, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ did enough to claim a split-decision victory over Chisora, handing the British veteran a first career defeat since 2022 and winning on points for the first time since 2015.

As a result, Wilder is expected to benefit from Chisora’s #2 position with the IBF and the Alabama powerhouse may be within touching distance of a shot at becoming a two-time world champion.

The American also appears keen on a lucrative affair against long-term rival Joshua, and fans are already debating how it would play out years after it was first discussed.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Hall of Fame inductee Froch said that he is not convinced that Joshua possesses the confidence to take on Wilder.

“Eddie Hearn will be telling him [Joshua] that that’s the fight, because he is right, Eddie knows how to make money, he is a businessman and he is a top promoter. He will be saying, ‘look, Deontay Wilder is the fight for you’.

“He is still a big name, he has now come off the back of a win against Chisora, so he is fresh in the mind of everybody, but I don’t know if AJ believes that he can beat Deontay Wilder.

“Maybe he does, maybe he wants to come back and maybe he wants to fight again. But, I think if Deontay Wilder throws a couple of meaningful right hands and connects on AJ’s chin, then the fight is over. AJ will be knocked out.

“He has got to fight confident in that fight. He has got to get behind the jab and he has got to put shots together. Wilder looks like he can still tee up and load up with that right uppercut and that right hand – if he connects on AJ’s chin, it could be game over.”

Joshua is expected to return to the ring in late summer, with the top dogs of his era, Wilder and Tyson Fury, once again being the demanded dance partners for the two-time heavyweight ruler.

Tyson Fury returns to the ring this weekend in London after over a year out. If he overcomes Russian powerhouse Arslanbek Makhumdov, he is hoping to finally deliver on one of the biggest fights the sport can offer.

‘The Gypsy King’ is a handy favourite against Makhmudov, who poses a threat with his power but has been defeated at world level in the past. The general consensus is that, if Fury is close to the same fighter as he was in his two competitive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, he will emerge victorious.

So who will he call out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium post-fight? Speaking on Inside the Ring, Fury said Anthony Joshua is at the top of his hit list.

“It’s not really about a belt anymore it’s just that I want to make that Anthony Joshua fight that was supposed to have happened for the last 10 years but hasn’t.

“Obviously I have this big fight in front of me in Makhmudov first and then we don’t know what the third fight might be after Joshua but I’m aiming for three fights this year.”

It is a notable admission from Fury, who has played coy on the bout in the past despite huge fan demand. It is understood that the pair are in early discussions for a fight towards the end of the year, with ‘AJ’ likely taking another fight in the meantime.

Fury does not rule out the rivalry becoming a two-fight affair, though he believes that will be prevented by him ‘blowing away’ his countryman.

“If it’s a good fight with me and AJ, which I don’t think it will be, I think it will be a blow-away, then we will have a rematch. But if not, we will see.”

Fans will now focus on how Fury looks come Saturday night. At 37 and coming off a long period of inactivity, he himself has admitted that he may not be the fighter he was.

Deontay Wilder re-established himself in the heavyweight division by outpointing Derek Chisora on Saturday night. Just days later, a route to becoming two-time world champion has presented itself.

In a hectic affair, two of the three judges ruled that ‘The Bronze Bomber’ had done enough to spoil Chisora’s farewell fight and pull off the upset, securing a first win on the world stage since losing his WBC heavyweight title to Tyson Fury in 2020.

Prior to the fight, Chisora was ranked as the IBF’s number 2 heavyweight contender and Wilder is expected to benefit from that rating, opening the door to a clash against the victor of Frank Sanchez and Richard Torrez Jr – who fight in a final eliminator next month.

However, it is with the WBA where Wilder could become a two-time titleholder, as he has been offered a fight by Al Siesta, promoter of WBA Regular heavyweight champion, Murat Gassiev, on X.

“Congratulations to our brother in IBA ‘The Bronze Bomber’ for his victory over the legend Chisora.

“Deontay you are a great champion and it would be our honour for you to compete for Murat Gassiev’s WBA title next. We are ready for anyone.”

Whilst Gassiev – who has also called out Moses Itauma – currently holds the WBA ‘Regular’ title and Oleksandr Usyk remains the recognised ‘Super’ champion, the situation within the sanctioning body could soon shift.

Unified champion Usyk is set to face former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven next month, with the WBC already confirming its belt will be on the line for that bout. However, as of writing, the WBA and IBF have yet to clarify their positions. Should either body refuse to sanction the fight, Usyk could be forced to vacate or be stripped of one or both titles.

That uncertainty is what makes the WBA route particularly relevant for Wilder. If Usyk relinquishes the belt – whether immediately or as part of his planned run of final fights – the ‘Regular’ title picture involving Gassiev could quickly be elevated, creating a clearer path to full championship status.

Floyd Mayweather’s 2026 fight plans appeared to be set, but all three of his announced contests may be in jeopardy.

Mayweather first announced that he would face heavyweight icon Mike Tyson in a bizarre exhibition in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the end of this month, but no official information followed.

The undefeated pound-for-pound legend then signed for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, with their second meeting set for The Sphere in Las Vegas in September and streamed live on Netflix. That clash now seems to be in jeopardy, after Mayweather claimed it was an exhibition but Pacquiao said the contracts are for a professional bout.

Finally, Mayweather had also announced a third fight for 2026, this time against 18-time kickboxing champion Mike Zambidis scheduled for Saturday, June 27.

In an interview with FightHype, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, Jas Mathur, explained that Mayweather has breached his contract not only by lobbying for an exhibition after signing for a pro fight, but also by agreeing to take on Zambidis – a fight which he ‘cannot do’.

“There are multiple breaches. I’m not just saying that there is one. One of the breaches in there is the Greece fight that he is posting, his exhibition against the Greek fighter. He can’t do that fight, it’s a direct breach of this contract.”

Further drama is sure to unfold in the latest chapter of the Mayweather-Pacquiao rivalry, but for now it seems as though the former’s three-fight plan is extremely unlikely to proceed as he’d expected. If he pushes on to face Zambidis – presumably also contracted – he risks not only a legal battle, but losing the biggest money-spinner of all three events.