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

Usman Nurmagomedov approaches the final bout on his PFL contractual agreement tonight, and several promotional standouts have speculated on what could be next for the top pound-for-pound star in the promotion. The PFL lightweight champion will defend his 155-pound crown against Archie Colgan as the main event of PFL New York on July 31st. AJ McKee touched on this ahead of his recent PFL San Diego headlining bout that saw him hand Salamat Isbulaev his first pro MMA loss.

McKee has also shown past intrigue in a clash with Nurmagomedov, and when asked if he sees the PFL lightweight champ re-signing with the company following Friday's fight, McKee said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

“I think he's got a skill set to overheld himself wherever he goes. So, whatever he chooses to do is upon him. I'm supportive of all fighters and testing waters. Seeing what their opportunities are. So, with him, yeah, that was definitely a fight I was looking forward to, just being champ champ. It's still something that's on the table for myself and I'm looking forward to doing.â€

Usman Nurmagomedov bout touched on by PFL New York co-main event star

Dakota Ditcheva will also be fighting on this PFL New York card and took time to address the Usman Nurmagomedov situation ahead of her fight with Denise Kielholtz. When asked for her thoughts on whether Nurmagomedov will end up continuing to ply his trade in the PFL's Smart Cage or if he perhaps turns his focus next toward the UFC's octagon, Ditcheva stated [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

“I don't know. I think he has always been clear on like when Islam [Makhachev] gives his belt up and he's finished that they're going to bring Usman in now. So I think; well Khabib [Nurmagomedov] has his plans. They say father's plan, don't they? They know exactly what they're doing. So I don't know what's going to happen, but they would have had this figured out for a long time. Just good luck to him wherever he goes. He's a great athlete and a very exciting fighter.â€

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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