IBF champion says fans will still watch as criticism builds over pullout and promotional shift
Richardson Hitchins responded to criticism following his withdrawal from a planned defense against Oscar Duarte and his move to Zuffa Boxing. The IBF junior welterweight champion said fans will still tune in when he returns.
The IBF 140-pound titleholder took to social media to respond to criticism following his withdrawal from a planned defense against Oscar Duarte and his move to Zuffa Boxing, telling detractors that their attention is guaranteed regardless of what they say publicly.
“Y’all hating ass Mfs could say what ya want, but the truth of the matter is y’all still gonna tune into my next fight. Once I pop up on that screen. Ya know, the truth about to perform, and I’m great at what I do,” said Hitchins on X.
While Hitchins is trying to play it cool by claiming the hate is just guaranteed attention, his recent social media activity suggests he is feeling the need to defend his reputation more than ever.
The fallout from that February 21st withdrawal against Oscar Duarte was a massive blow to his standing with the hardcore fan base. Pulling out on the day of the fight is almost unheard of at the championship level, and when you combine that with his history of avoiding the most dangerous names in the division, it is easy to see why the duck narrative has stuck.
Fans are still heated over the fact that a fight with Keyshawn Davis fell through earlier this year. While Hitchins’ camp blamed money, fans saw it as another example of him passing on a high-risk, high-reward challenge.
Hitchins’ signing with Zuffa Boxing in April 2026 has only added fuel to the fire. By moving to a promotion that doesn’t even have a 140-pound ranking system, he effectively walked away from his IBF obligations.