What to Know
- Zuffa Boxing announced its first card in New York with Zuffa Boxing 09, taking place on Sunday, July 26 at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden and airing on Paramount+
- The eight-fight card features a double main event: Edgar Berlanga vs Steven Butler, and Richardson Hitchins vs Ricardo Salas.
- Berlanga is expected to get a serious challenge from Butler, who is riding a four knockout streak.
Zuffa Boxing will make its debut in New York City on Sunday, July 2 at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden. To match the energy of the Big Apple, Zuffa Boxing 09 features a double main event. The entire eight-fight card will stream live exclusively on Paramount+, with the main card beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m ET.
Berlanga vs Butler
Edgar Berlanga of Brooklyn (23-2, 18 KOs) will face Steven Butler of Montreal (38-5-1, 32 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight showdown. The 29-year-old Puerto Rican power puncher Berlanga famously began his career with 16 consecutive first-round knockouts. He lost when stepping up in world title fights against Canelo Alvarez and Hamzah Sheeraz.
Now Berlanga will once again test himself against a dangerous puncher in the 30-year-old Butler, who enters the bout riding a four-fight knockout streak.
Butler and his promoters at Eye of the Tiger Management had plenty to say about their chances against Berlanga. Since his move up to the super middlweight division, he’s scored four knockouts in four bouts.
“I can’t compare Berlanga to Janibek (Alimkhanuly) and (Ryota) Murata, but I can assure you that the Steven Butler who will fight in New York has nothing in common with the boxer he was five years ago,” said EOTTM President Camille Estephan, name-checking the two champions who defeated Butler at middleweight.
“The power has always been there, but with the maturity he now possesses and the physical strength he has developed at super middleweight, I would even go so far as to say that a Steven who sticks to his game plan is the favorite against Berlanga.”
“I’ve proven that I’m ready to return to the international stage,” said Butler. “I’ve fought in Japan, so New York doesn’t intimidate me. In fact, it’s perfect because it’s not too far from my training camp in Connecticut. As for the rest, I’m working hard, and I plan to seize my opportunity in New York. You’ll see. This is my moment,” added Butler.
Hitchins vs Salas
Undefeated former super lightweight champion Richardson Hitchins of Brooklyn (20-0, 8 KOs) will take on Ricardo Salas of Mexico City (24-2-2, 18 KOs) in his first fight in the welterweight division. The 28-year-old Brooklyn native made his final successful defense of his super lightweight title against George Kambosos Jr. at Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden last June.
Hitchins was scheduled to defend his IBF World Super Lightweight world title against challenger Oscar Duarte on the Garcia vs Barrios card in February, but Hitchins withdrew on the day of the fight due to an unspecified illness, caused by struggling to make the IBF rehydration limit that morning.
Hitchins took tremendous heat over the situation, especially from Duarte and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya. Hitchins will be highly motivated to make good in his next fight.
Standing in his way is the 27-year-old Salas, who earned his way into the main event in July with his spectacular knockout victory over Jesus Saracho in the co-main event of Zuffa Boxing 04 in March. Salas will make a significant step up in opposition against Hitchins. His best win to date was a third-round knockout of Roiman Villa in Las Vegas in September 2024 on the Canelo vs Berlanga card.
Additional information on undercard fights will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets will go on sale Friday, June 19 at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster.com. UFC Fight Club will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, June 17 at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT via UFCFightClub.com. An additional exclusive presale will begin Thursday, June 18 at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.