Trainer questions whether Zuffa move will bring Garcia, Haney, or Benn bouts

Floyd Schofield Sr. says Richardson Hitchins may still struggle to secure top opponents despite links to Zuffa Boxing. He questioned whether fights with Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, or Conor Benn will materialize.

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In Schofield Sr.’s view, the promotional switch alone is unlikely to bring Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, or Conor Benn into the ring, leaving Hitchins in the same position he has faced for months: chasing bigger names while likely needing to accept a lesser opponent next.

Schofield Sr. discussed Hitchins during a recent livestream and said the unbeaten junior welterweight has already made his interest clear.

“Nobody wants to fight Richardson,” Schofield Sr. said to Millcity Boxing. “That’s a fact.”

He said Hitchins has pursued several notable names without getting movement.

“He been calling Shakur out for a while. He called Keyshawn out. None of them gets in a ring with him. Who wants to fight Richardson?” Schofield Sr. said.

Hitchins has recently been linked with Zuffa Boxing, creating fresh talk about whether a new platform could open doors at 140 pounds. Schofield Sr., however, sounded doubtful that a new banner would change the core issue.

“What else is he gonna do? Just sit there? But going to Zuffa now, he got a chance of fighting,” he said.

Even with that opening, the realistic market remains narrow. Garcia and Haney have larger commercial options, while Benn may prefer more recognizable opponents after a difficult fight against Regis Prograis. That could leave Hitchins needing to defend his position against a less established contender rather than securing the marquee bout he has been seeking.

Hitchins is counting on the UFC model, where the brand forces the best to fight the best to solve his matchmaking woes. But boxing isn’t a closed league yet, and Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Conor Benn still operate on the high-reward, manageable-risk principle.

For a streaming service to justify a massive payout, they need tentpole attractions. Hitchins’ technical, safety-first approach is respected by purists but is a hard sell for casual fans.

If Zuffa pays Ryan Garcia $20M+ to fight Hitchins, and Hitchins wins a boring 12-round decision, Paramount+ hasn’t gained long-term subscribers; they’ve just paid for a masterclass in hit and not get hit that most viewers will find forgettable.

Zuffa already spent a fortune to secure Conor Benn, who is essentially the anti-Hitchins in terms of marketability. He’s aggressive, controversial, and British-backed. If Zuffa is going to throw big money around, it’s going to be to protect their investment in Benn, not to let a technical wizard like Hitchins outpoint him and kill his hype.

Unless Dana White is willing to treat boxing like a loss leader to build the Paramount+ brand, Hitchins is likely to find himself in the same situation he’s been in. He’s too good to be an easy out, but not famous enough to be a money loss.

He’s already calling out Oscar Duarte just to stay relevant, which is exactly the kind of fight he was trying to escape.