Richardson Hitchins is on course to win his race against the clock.
BoxingScene has learned that the unbeaten IBF 140lbs titlist and his team are in advanced talks for a title defense against Mexico’s Oscar Duarte. Once finalized, the bout will land on the soon-to-be-announced February 21 Mario Barrios vs. Ryan Garcia pay-per-view card in Las Vegas, Nevada.
ESPN Knockout’s Salvador “Chava” Rodriguez first reported that the fight was on the table.
As previously reported by BoxingScene, Hitchins, 20-0 (8 KOs), was granted the boxing equivalent of a stay of execution before the IBF would order a mandatory title defense.
There were talks of a possible showdown with former title challenger Frank Martin, 19-1 (13 KOs), who is with Premier Boxing Champions, as is Barrios. The matchup placement would have made sense given that connection. However, Martin is not currently in the IBF top 15 at 140lbs (or at any weight), a qualifier for sanctioning bodies to approve a title fight.
Hitchins previously agreed to next defend his title versus Jamaine Ortiz on January 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, mere miles from his Brooklyn hometown. In fact,
Both boxers were under the belief the fight would move forward, before Hitchins was removed from the show upon its official announcement.
Ortiz will instead face Keyshawn Davis in a non-title fight.
Talks quickly shifted to Duarte, 30-2-1 (23 KOs), another matchup that makes sense given his promotional alliance. Duarte and Garcia are both with Golden Boy Promotions, and in fact met in December 2023. Garcia won the bout via eighth-round knockout, which at the time ended Duarte’s 11-fight win streak – all inside the distance.
Duarte has since put together an impressive four-fight run. It began with a stoppage victory over former 130lbs titlist Joseph Diaz in April 2024, followed by a points win over two-time title challenger Batyr Akhmedov later that November.
Two more wins were added in 2025. Duarte turned away Miguel Madueño, a late replacement for former two-time titleholder Regis Prograis, inside of seven rounds last February 15 in Anaheim, California. In his most notable victory to date, Duarte edged Kenneth Sims Jnr over 12-rounds last August 2 on the road in Sims’ hometown of Chicago, Illinois.
Hitchins – who represented Haiti in the 2016 Rio Olympics - claimed the IBF junior welterweight title in a December 2024 win over Liam Paro in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Just one defense has followed thus far, an 8th round stoppage of former lineal and unified 135lbs champion George Kambosos last June 14 at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City.
Should this fight fall through for any reason, Hitchins will then have to enter negotiations with mandatory challenger Lindolfo Delgado, 24-0 (16 KOs), also a 2016 Rio Olympian who represented Mexico.
A reached agreement will provide a third title fight to the Barrios-Garcia lineup, and second at 140lbs. Also targeted for the show, WBA titleholder Gary Antuanne Russell is due to face Japan’s Andy Hiraoka, his overdue mandatory challenger.
