Richardson Hitchins Has a Narrow Window Before the IBF Steps Back In

The Ring reports that negotiations are active for IBF junior welterweight champion Richardson Hitchins to defend his title against Oscar Duarte on the February 21 Ryan Garcia vs Mario Barrios card in Las Vegas.

The timing is the story. Hitchins is operating inside a narrow opening created by the IBF, which has temporarily stepped back from enforcing its mandatory order against Lindolfo Delgado. After initially ordering the fight, the sanctioning body has now paused enforcement, giving Hitchins a brief window of roughly 30 days to finalize a voluntary defense before the mandatory is reinstated.

That pause explains why the Duarte talks have surfaced now.

Duarte is not being positioned as a stay busy opponent. He has been active across 2024 and 2025 and is coming off a majority decision win over Kenneth Sims Jr. last August. That recent run has rebuilt his standing and made him a credible voluntary option rather than a placeholder fight.

From a card building perspective, the matchup makes sense. The Garcia Barrios event needs depth beyond the main event, and a world title fight featuring a Mexican contender with momentum strengthens the undercard. For Hitchins, it offers a paid title defense without immediately surrendering control of his schedule.

The alternative is Delgado, and that fight remains unavoidable.

Delgado earned his mandatory position through a split decision win over Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela in November. The decision drew criticism, but the result stood. Once the IBF reactivates the order, Hitchins will be required to face Delgado or accept the risk of being stripped.

There has also been talk about Hitchins pursuing bigger commercial names. Frank Martin has been mentioned as a possible future opponent, though he is not currently positioned to satisfy IBF requirements. In practical terms, Duarte and Martin are competing for the same slot. Only one fits the timeline the sanctioning body has allowed.

This is how champions try to manage leverage. A short stay from the IBF creates an opening. Promoters move quickly to fill it with a voluntary defense that makes business sense. If the deal closes in time, it happens. If not, the mandatory takes over.

Right now, Duarte represents the most realistic use of that window. If negotiations stall, the situation simplifies fast. The belt stops being flexible, and Delgado becomes unavoidable.

And at that point, Hitchins will no longer be choosing the terms of his next fight.