Richardson Hitchins Vacates IBF Junior Welterweight Title, Moves Up to 147 Pounds

One of the most talented technical boxers in the sport is on the move. Richardson Hitchins officially vacated his IBF junior welterweight title on Monday night and is heading up to the welterweight division, making him one of the most intriguing new names in a loaded 147-pound landscape.

The announcement came through Hitchins’ manager Keith Connolly, with the IBF confirming receipt of the vacation notification the same evening. The Brooklyn-born champion has been struggling with the 140-pound weight cut for some time, most notably when he fell ill and withdrew from a scheduled February title defense against Oscar Duarte on the Ryan Garcia-Mario Barrios card just hours before the bell.

“It was a tough decision for Hitchins, but he’s outgrown the weight class,” Connolly said. “He’s been fighting at 140 since he was 16 as an amateur. Hitchins is an elite fighter and I truly believe he’ll be even better and stronger at welterweight, and he will be fighting for a world title at 147 in the next 12 months.”

The move comes on the heels of Hitchins signing with Zuffa Boxing earlier this month, the new promotional venture from TKO and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He joins Conor Benn in Zuffa’s welterweight stable. This also makes Hitchins the second IBF world champion to relinquish his title after signing with Zuffa, following cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia who was stripped by the IBF in March after winning Zuffa’s newly established belt.

At 20-0 with 8 knockouts, Hitchins is a slick, high-IQ boxer who is widely considered one of the best pure technicians in the sport. The question now is how his speed, footwork, and defensive skills translate against a division that includes Boots Ennis, Rolly Romero, Vergil Ortiz Jr., and Ryan Garcia.

Richardson Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) is a Brooklyn-born world-class technician who won the IBF junior welterweight title with a split decision victory over Liam Paro in December 2024 and made his lone defense with an eighth-round stoppage of former unified champion George Kambosos. Lindolfo Delgado (24-0, 16 KOs) is the IBF’s No. 1-ranked 140-pound contender who now stands to fight for the newly vacant title.