Richardson Hitchins’ recent decision to align himself with Zuffa Boxing prompted World Boxing News to seek clarification from the International Boxing Federation regarding the champion’s immediate title obligations.
Hitchins became the latest fighter connected to manager Keith Connolly to move toward the new promotional venture following the breakdown of relations between Connolly and Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn as both the IBF super lightweight champion and Edgar Berlanga followed Conor Benn to the Zuffa project.
With Hitchins now attached to that structure, WBN asked the sanctioning body to confirm where the situation stands regarding Hitchins’ mandatory defense.
The federation confirmed the process is already underway.
IBF Mandatory Timeline
“Richardson Hitchins was ordered to negotiate for his mandatory defense of the title against number one and mandatory challenger Lindolfo Delgado on February 23,” the IBF told World Boxing News.
“The parties had until March 24 to reach an agreement. Both sides agreed to two extensions which took the negotiation period to April 7.
“On April 9 a purse bid was ordered for April 21.”
The timeline simply places Hitchins where most IBF champions eventually find themselves — defending the title against the division’s leading contender.
Opetaia Precedent
However, the wider attention surrounding his promotional alignment has already drawn focus following events earlier this year involving cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia.
The IBF withdrew sanction for Opetaia’s bout with Brandon Glanton once the contest was publicly promoted for the “Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship.”
That ruling effectively established the IBF’s position regarding rival championship structures connected to the promotion. The fallout also raised questions about whether the situation could complicate Zuffa’s attempts to attract reigning champions.
For Opetaia himself, the episode placed the cruiserweight star at a crossroads as he weighed his long-term ambition of becoming undisputed against the realities of operating outside boxing’s traditional sanctioning framework, leaving his Zuffa future in doubt.
Opetaia remains aligned with Zuffa but has made no public comment on losing the title he was so proud to hold.
His precedent now forms part of the backdrop to Hitchins’ situation.
Zuffa and Sanctioning Rules
The IBF’s stance in the Opetaia case demonstrated that the federation is willing to enforce its championship rules even when the circumstances involve a major promotional venture.
Despite legal threats from Zuffa Boxing that have yet to fully surface publicly, the sanctioning body maintained its position and ultimately vacated the title.
Unless the regulatory landscape changes — something that could occur if the proposed Muhammad Ali Expansion Act passes the U.S. Senate — the same framework remains in place.
Under current rules, if an IBF champion participates in a contest promoted around a rival championship belt within the division’s weight limit, the title is automatically forfeited.
For Hitchins, though, the immediate issue is far more conventional.
The mandatory challenger is Lindolfo Delgado, a Top Rank fighter who is not part of the Zuffa roster. That creates a practical complication regarding where the fight might ultimately take place.
If Zuffa intends to stage the contest under its banner, the promotion would likely need to win the scheduled purse bid or reach a separate agreement with Top Rank to place Delgado on the event.
Should that happen, Hitchins could still defend his IBF title within the Zuffa framework provided the contest is not promoted around a competing championship belt — something the federation has indicated it would allow.
If the purse bid goes the other way, the situation becomes even simpler, with Hitchins potentially defending his title on a Bob Arum-promoted show instead.
Either way, the IBF’s confirmation makes one point clear: the same playbook that reshaped Jai Opetaia’s reign remains firmly in place when sanctioning body champions align with Zuffa Boxing.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.