Tim Bradley Says Hitchins Owes Duarte After Title Fight Withdrawal

Richardson Hitchins hurt his own standing by making weight for his IBF title defence and then withdrawing hours later, and Tim Bradley says that is the line fighters are not supposed to cross.

Hitchins pulled out of his scheduled defence against IBF #3 contender Oscar Duarte last Saturday after falling ill following Friday’s weigh-in and the IBF’s same-day rehydration check. The fight was set for T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the undercard of Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia. Hitchins had spent the buildup insisting he would dominate Duarte. By fight night, the bout was off.

Bradley’s position is blunt. Hitchins made the 140-pound limit. He showed up at the scale. In Bradley’s view, that is the point of no return.

“You made it to the scales,” Tim Bradley said. “Every fighter has fought feeling sick. You made it on the scales. So what was the problem?”

Hitchins reportedly became ill shortly after the IBF rehydration check, which restricts fighters to no more than 10 pounds above the contracted limit on fight day. He was said to be vomiting before the withdrawal was announced. There has been no confirmation that he has been stripped of the IBF junior welterweight title.

Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Duarte, is expected to file a grievance with the IBF over the cancellation. The sanctioning body had already been preparing to enforce a mandatory defence against Jon Fernandez Delgado. If the fight is not rescheduled quickly, Hitchins’ hold on the belt could come under review.

The episode also revived a familiar issue. Hitchins has struggled with the IBF’s rehydration rule before. In April 2024, he edged Gustavo Lemos in an eliminator in Las Vegas but appeared lethargic late and later pointed to the rehydration clause as a factor. He has openly discussed the strain of making 140 pounds and has floated a future move to welterweight for bigger fights, including a possible meeting with Devin Haney.

Bradley suggested the warning signs were visible at the weigh-in, where Hitchins looked drawn and drained. He also argued that fighters earning major purses should invest more heavily in preparation, including proper nutritional support during fight week. For Bradley, the issue is less about illness and more about professional standards once the scale has been beaten.

“When you’re wrong, you’re wrong,” Bradley said. “You pulled out of a big fight.”

Hitchins now faces a choice. If 140 pounds continues to leave him depleted under the IBF’s rules, moving up may be the cleaner path. Staying in the division but withdrawing after making weight invites doubt that only another defence can remove.