Richardson Hitchins Sends Cryptic Message After Zuffa Move

Move to 147 pounds follows promotional switch as next opponent remains unclear

Richardson Hitchins has vacated his IBF junior welterweight title after signing a multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing. The unbeaten contender is moving up to 147 pounds with his next opponent yet to be confirmed.

The unbeaten welterweight contender posted on X on Sunday: “I gotta be single for a while you can’t control me,” a line taken from Drake’s song Fair Trade. While some replies treated it like personal drama, the timing points more toward Hitchins’ boxing situation than his dating life.

It is pretty funny to see Hitchins trying to play the “independent spirit” card when the timeline suggests he was basically running from a bill he didn’t want to pay. The timing of that Drake quote is almost too perfect for a guy who just ditched his belt the second the IBF handed him a mandatory he couldn’t cruise through.

Hitchins recently signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing after leaving his previous promotional setup. Soon after, he vacated his IBF junior welterweight title and announced plans to campaign at 147 pounds.

Lindolfo Delgado is exactly the kind of high-risk, lower-pay opponent that makes champions suddenly decide they “need their space.” Calling it a quest for control sounds a lot better than admitting the mandatory defense was a tough night’s work for not enough reward. Moving to 147 might get him away from Delgado, but it doesn’t solve the reputation issue he is building.

Fans are right to roast him for the Kambosos fight, too. He was more than happy to be “controlled” by the IBF when it meant picking up a title against a guy many felt was past his prime. If he really wanted to test his independence and show he wasn’t scared of the young lions, fighting Ernesto Mercado or Keyshawn Davis would have been the ultimate way to prove it.

Instead, he’s vacated the title, skipped the Oscar Duarte fight, and is now posting lyrics while his stock takes a hit on social media. Welterweight is filled with sharks, and if he thinks he’s going to find easier “control” over there without having to face guys just as dangerous as Delgado, he might be in for a rude awakening.

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