IBF Orders Richardson Hitchins vs Lindolfo Delgado Mandatory at 140

Lindolfo Delgado order intensifies weight questions at junior welterweight

The IBF has ordered Richardson Hitchins to make a mandatory defense of his 140-pound title against Lindolfo Delgado, further clouding the status of his canceled fight with Oscar Duarte.

According to Dan Rafael, if no agreement is finalized, the sanctioning body will move to purse bid. The order lands only days after Richardson Hitchins withdrew from his scheduled defense against Oscar Duarte on fight day, reportedly after vomiting multiple times following breakfast that morning.

The immediate fallout hits Duarte. He completed camp, made the weight, and lost the fight hours before the walkout. Now he is not positioned as the next man in line. Even if Hitchins handles the incoming mandatory, there is no guarantee Duarte circles back into the slot. Best case, he waits on the politics to clear. Worst case, he rebuilds his standing the hard way, one fight at a time.

Hitchins has experienced weight-related difficulty before. He struggled on the scales ahead of his 2024 fight with Gustavo Lemos, and questions have followed him since about how long he can remain at 140 pounds. A move to 147 has been discussed publicly but has not materialized.

Remaining at junior welterweight allows Hitchins to maintain a physical edge over many opponents in the division. At welterweight, that advantage would likely be reduced.

For now, the IBF order redraws the immediate route at junior welterweight. Talks with Delgado will decide whether Richardson Hitchins makes his next defense under negotiated terms or whether the belt moves to purse bid.

There is no public schedule beyond the standard 30-day negotiation period.

Until that clock expires, the division remains in administrative limbo.