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

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

Dakota
Ditcheva is trying to forget about her hand injury as she
prepares to return to action in the
Professional Fighters League.

The unbeaten British standout meets former Bellator
kickboxing champion Denise
Kielholtz on July 31 at UBS Arena on Long Island, New York,
marking her return after suffering a broken hand against Sumiko
Inaba in 2025, an injury that sidelined her for more than a
year.

Dakota Ditcheva discusses confidence struggles before PFL fight
with Denise Kielholtz

Despite a 100% physical recovery from her injury, Ditcheva still
struggles with the mental aspect of returning to competition. She
recently admitted that the biggest hurdle has been regaining
complete confidence in her repaired hand, especially having
undergone reconstructive surgery.

“You have to try and forget about it,†Ditcheva said about her
recovery after the surgery. “I'm doing everything I was doing
before it was broken, so for now, it's just the mind. I don't have
any evidence to suggest the hand isn't as strong as it was before;
I'm hitting just as hard as I was before.â€

Ditcheva also claimed that she occasionally feels “nervous†before
training sessions.

“When I get ready for training in the morning, I'm nervous,†the
PFL star added. “But that's what makes me go and those feeling are
what I live for every day.â€

The Summer of PFL rolls on! âž¡ï¸

The
#PFLSummerSeries continues straight into New York with the
return of undefeated Dakota
Ditcheva this Friday, July 31st against Denise
Kielholtz #PFLNY
| Friday, July 31st | 📺Prelims 4PM EST on the ESPN App | Main Card
7PM EST on ESPN pic.twitter.com/wsHRozzHYK

— PFL (@PFLMMA)
July 26, 2026