Edgar Berlanga overcame an early scare to score a statement
victory, while Richardson Hitchins impressed in his welterweight
bout at Zuffa Boxing 9.

Zuffa Boxing graced The Big Apple on July 26, putting on an event
at Infosys Theater in Madison Square Garden.

Zuffa Boxing 9 Results: Edgar Berlanga stops Steven Butler,
Richardson Hitchins wins side

Berlanga rallied following a knockdown to stop Steven Butler via
technical knockout in the seventh round of a super middleweight
bout. Berlanga responded with relentless pressure after being
dropped, gradually breaking Butler down before scoring a knockdown
of his own in Round 6.

In the co-main event, Hitchins turned in a dominant performance,
cruising to a unanimous decision over Ricardo Salas. Using his
superior speed, reach and jab, the New Yorker outboxed Salas from
bell to bell, earning identical 100-90 scores on all three judges’
cards.

Elsewhere on the card, Jalil Hackett earned a unanimous decision
over former world title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko in his
middleweight debut, while Vladyslav Sirenko scored a knockout
against Otto Wallin with just one second remaining in their
bout.

Furthermore, Emiliano Moreno outworked Arnold Gonzalez over eight
rounds and Kashaun Davis handed Mihai Nistor the first decision
loss of his career. Troy Nash remained unbeaten in Zuffa Boxing
with a majority decision over Ethan Perez, while Andres Sosa dented
Dominique Francis’ previously perfect record with a unanimous
decision victory in the opening contest.

BERLANGA WINS BY TKO ?
#ZuffaBoxing09 pic.twitter.com/B71JSxVpIM

— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing)
July 27, 2026

Israel Adesanya's longtime mentee believes City Kickboxing is in a great spot following the former champ's departure.

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya made a huge change to his camp after four consecutive losses in the Octagon.

Adesanya, a longtime leader at City Kickboxing, announced his split from the gym earlier this summer. While Adesanya didn't go into details about the circumstances of his departure, he hinted that a fresh start was needed to get back on track in his career.

Adesanya leaves behind top talents like UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, former title challenger Kai Kara-France, and fan favorite Dan Hooker in his wake. The former middleweight champ served as a leader and mentor to many fighters at City Kickboxing, making his departure all the more stunning.

One of the fighters that Adesanya mentored during his tenure shared a surprising take on his leave from the team.

Navajo Stirling reacts to mentor Israel Adesanya's City Kickboxing split

During his UFC Serbia pre-fight press conference, UFC light heavyweight Navajo Stirling shared his reaction to Adesanya's departure from City Kickboxing.

“I was happy for him,†Stirling said of Adesanya.

“Sometimes you do need a breath of fresh air, a new opportunity, new surroundings. I know what that does for a fighter. Everyone at the gym just wishes him nothing but the best.

“We've got loads of guys at the gym. Big names, even names you've never heard of. In terms of where the gym's at, we're doing so well. We're in such a good spot right now at City Kickboxing. I'm a part of that. I'm now a big part of the next surging style of fighters coming through the gym. It's going to be a time.†(h/t Bloody Elbow)

As of this writing, Adesanya's next gym move remains uncertain. He hasn't fought since a loss to Joe Pyfer earlier this year at UFC Seattle.

Who should Israel Adesanya fight in his UFC return? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

---

Valter
Walker has issued a warning to his heavyweight peers in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship for when the fight hits the
mat.

The Brazilian submission specialist continued his remarkable streak
at
UFC Abu Dhabi, forcing a tap from Thomas
Petersen with a rare calf slicer in the first round. This
marked only the fourth successful calf slicer in Octagon history
and extended Walker’s streak of sub victories to five straight.

Valter Walker says he has an answer when opponents defend his
heel hook.

Walker (16-1) secured four consecutive wins via heel hooks going
into UFC Abu Dhabi and added yet another leg-based submission
conquest to his record with his victory over Petersen. “The Foot
Hunter†later explained that the finish came after his American
counterpart successfully defended the heel hook.

“If you're ready for the heel hook, I have a variation to find a
way to win the fight,†Walker said in a post-fight interview. “If
the fight is on the ground, be careful. I will surprise you every
time.â€

Walker has six submission wins overall, in addition to just as many
knockouts. His current streak of first-round submissions paves the
way for a high-profile matchup next, which he's targeting for
UFC
333 in October, also slated for Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

“I just want to relax a little bit now, take a holiday with my wife
— but I want to fight again in October here,†Walker added. “I'll
talk to my manager and find out who's next.â€

“If the fight is on the ground, be
careful.”

Valter
Walker collects his fifth-straight submission victory at

#UFCAbuDhabi and gives his prediction for today’s main
event.

Prelim Results âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/unjXsOEd6u@VisitAbuDhabi
| @InAbuDhabi |

#InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/EvEu52mV4f

— UFC News (@UFCNews)
July 25, 2026