Zuffa Boxing on Tuesday announced its Novel York debut on July 26, confirming a double main event for the Infosys Theater card at Madison Square Garden, which until now has only been presented in the form of reports and a trailer. Brooklyn’s Edgar Berlanga and Richardson Hitchins will headline separate fights on an eight-fight card, with Berlanga facing Montreal’s Steven Butler and Hitchins moving up to welterweight against Mexico’s Ricardo Salas.

The Zuffa Boxing 09-branded event will take place in the smaller of Madison Square Garden’s two main venues, the building where they have hosted boxing championships for decades, through the Felt Forum and Hulu Theater eras. The promotion set a date and location for the end of May with a poster and promotional tape that did not feature any competitors. Tuesday’s post marks the first official reveal of any matchups on the show. The main card starts at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT.

Berlanga comes home against a live punch

Berlanga (23-2, 18 KO) makes his Zuffa Boxing debut in a 10-round super middleweight fight, about a year after his last appearance. The 29-year-old Puerto Rican, who started his career with 16 consecutive first-round knockouts, has not fought since July 2025, when Hamzah Sheeraz stopped him in the fifth round. This result followed his decision loss to Canelo Alvarez in September 2024. Zuffa signed Berlanga and Hitchins in April, and the promotion viewed Berlanga’s arrival as a chance to reset his position at 168 pounds.

The opponent is the real test for returning home. Steven Butler (38-5-1, 32 KO), a 30-year-old veteran from Montreal, has had a four-fight knockout streak since moving up to super middleweight. The Canadian has shared the ring with elite names in a career that began in 2014, and he arrives in Novel York with a record that makes a fight for a rematch risky rather than ceremonial.

Hitchins moves up to welterweight

Hitchins (20-0, 8 KO) is the more prominent name on the roster, and the fight against Salas marks his own Zuffa debut, a 12-round welterweight bout. The undefeated former super lightweight champion will fight at 147 pounds for the first time in his career. The 28-year-old Brooklyn native won the title via split decision over Liam Paro in behind schedule 2024 and successfully defended with an eighth-round knockout of George Kambosos Jr. at the same Infosys Theater in June last year, which means July 26 will be a return to the arena where he last fought.

Salas (24-2-2, 18 KO), a 27-year-old from Mexico, has earned the job thanks to his recent form. He scored a spectacular knockout of Jesus Saracho in the Zuffa Boxing 04 co-main event in March, allowing him to capitalize on his high knockout rate in the biggest opportunity of his career.

How to watch and tickets

The full card streams live on Paramount+ at no additional cost to subscribers in the US, Latin America, Brazil and Canada, and the event is broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 19 at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster, preceded by a UFC Fight Club pre-sale on Wednesday, June 17 and an additional exclusive pre-sale on Thursday, June 18.

Zuffa has not revealed the rest of the eight-fight card and additional fights are expected in the coming weeks. Reports leading up to the announcement also linked veteran Sergei Derevyanchenko to the July 26 date, although he was not among Tuesday’s confirmed fights.

The Novel York card is the clearest signal yet of how quickly the TKO-backed promotion intends to enter a market long controlled by Matchroom, Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions. Building the debut around two recognizable hometown stars rather than prospects is a deliberate statement of intent. More information about the players can be found in the official documents on the website BoxRec.

Hamzah Sheeraz is hoping to secure a shot at Canelo Alvarez in 2027, but the Mexican has made it clear what the Briton needs to do to make that fight happen.

Sheeraz knocked out Al Begic to take the vacant WBO throne last month, while Canelo will try to reclaim the WBC super middleweight crown in September when faces Christian Mbilli in an intriguing episode in Las Vegas.

If Canelo regains the WBC title, Sheeraz plans to make Canelo’s regular appearances on Cinco De Mayo in a bid to potentially unify the 168-pound division, planning to announce himself as the super middleweight he will defeat by defeating the division’s poster boy.

However, talking to DAZN BoxingCanelo stated that if Sheeraz wants to face him, he should try to unify the belts with newly crowned IBF world champion Osleys Iglesias to encourage him to take part in the proposed fight.

“I’ve never checked it [potential fights with Hamzah Sheeraz or Osleys Iglesias]. I think they have to fight each other and then I will choose the winner. It’s the smartest thing they can do.

“At some point we all have to earn what we deserve, right? They have to earn it [a fight with me]why not? That’s why I say they have to [fight each other] and I’m not saying they don’t deserve it.

“They deserve it, that’s why they’re there as champions, number one or whatever.

“But they have to fight each other and then, after my fight, we will see.”

Sheeraz is expected to reappear next month, but it won’t be against Iglesias, whose promoter believes the Briton is uninterested in any fight in that role.

TIME revealed the inauguration TIME100 Sports List On June 9, 100 figures recognized by the magazine as the most influential people shaping the global sports landscape were honored. Among those honored was Amanda Serrano, one of only three combat sports figures on the list, alongside undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and UFC CEO Dana White.

According to a statement from Most Valuable Promotions, Serrano is the only female combat athlete to be named to the inaugural list. In his career, which began in 2009, Serrano won world titles in seven weight categories.

Serrano responds to honor

In a statement released via MVP, Serrano addressed the recognition and the broader issue she has associated with her career.

“Being named to TIME’s inaugural TIME100 Sports list is an incredible honor. Throughout my career, I have always wanted to prove that women’s boxing is one of the biggest stages in sports and that women fighters deserve the same opportunities, visibility and respect as men,” Serrano said.

Jake Paul points to the MVP role

Jake Paul, who co-founded MVP with Nakisa Bidarian in 2021 and promotes Serrano, reacted to the news on X.

I said it in my documentary and I’ll say it again: being a part of getting Amanda Serrano the recognition she deserves is one of my greatest achievements in life. Congratulations to Amanda on being named to Time’s 100 Most Influential People in Sports for the first time.

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 9, 2026

Background

Serrano’s profile skyrocketed thanks to her rivalry with Katie Taylor. Their first meeting in April 2022 headlined Madison Square Garden and was the first women’s fight to top the bill at the venue. The pair fought three times, with Taylor winning each match, the last one taking place in July 2025.

TIME’s inaugural sports issue features a worldwide cover featuring LeBron James. The full TIME100 competition list will appear in the June 22, 2026 issue, which hits newsstands on July 12.