Zuffa Boxing 9 Results: Berlanga Survives Knockdown to Stop Butler in New York Debut
By Real Combat Media Boxing Editorial Staff
New York, New York, (July 26th, 2026)–Zuffa Boxing brought Dana White’s promotion to Madison Square Garden for the first time Sunday night, and the card delivered on every level. Brooklyn’s Edgar Berlanga survived a second-round knockdown to stop Canada’s Steven Butler in the seventh round of the Zuffa Boxing 9 main event at the Infosys Theater, while Richardson Hitchins cruised through his welterweight debut and Ukrainian heavyweight Vladyslav Sirenko produced the finish of the night, flooring Otto Wallin with one second left on the clock.
Berlanga (24-2, 19 KOs), fighting for the first time in a year after his knockout loss to Hamzah Sheeraz, started the fight boxing smartly behind his jab before Butler (38-6-1, 32 KOs) caught him with a single right hand at the end of round two that sent him to the canvas. Berlanga regrouped in round three, went back to power punching, and gradually broke Butler down over the following rounds before referee Eric Dali stepped in at 1:14 of round seven. It was Berlanga’s sixth straight win at Madison Square Garden, and he wasted no time afterward calling out Sheeraz, Jaime Munguia, Chris Eubank Jr. and Jermell Charlo. “It shows I’m a true champion, and I’m not scared of fighting anyone,” Berlanga said. “We want to fight the best to prove we belong with the best.”
In the co-main event, Hitchins (21-0, 8 KOs) made his first appearance at welterweight a statement, sweeping every round against Ricardo Salas (24-3-2, 18 KOs) for a unanimous 100-90 shutout on all three cards. Jalil Hackett opened the main card with a unanimous decision of his own, outworking veteran Sergiy Derevyanchenko behind a heavy jab to win 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94, despite getting staggered by Derevyanchenko in the tenth.
Sirenko Steals the Show
The night’s most dramatic moment came on the prelims, where Sirenko (23-1, 20 KOs) and Wallin (28-4, 16 KOs) traded evenly through nine rounds of a tactical heavyweight fight before Sirenko turned it up in the final round. With Wallin backed against the ropes and the clock winding down, Sirenko landed a right hand followed by a crushing left hook that put Wallin face-first on the canvas with one second remaining. Wallin needed several minutes of attention from ringside medical staff before he was helped from the ring.
Dana White’s Post-Fight Presser
White fielded questions from reporters after the show, and the promotion’s first New York card had him and the rest of the Zuffa and UFC brass in good spirits about the Berlanga and Hitchins signings. Asked about a different fighter entirely, White gave an update on Conor McGregor, who was on FaceTime ringside for the event. Pointing to McGregor’s recent training footage, White estimated a timeline for his return, saying he expects McGregor is still probably about a year out from competing again.
Full Card Results
Super Middleweight (Main Event): Edgar Berlanga def. Steven Butler by TKO, Round 7 (1:14)
Welterweight: Richardson Hitchins def. Ricardo Salas by unanimous decision (100-90, 100-90, 100-90)
Middleweight: Jalil Hackett def. Sergiy Derevyanchenko by unanimous decision (98-92, 97-93, 96-94)
Heavyweight: Vladyslav Sirenko def. Otto Wallin by KO, Round 10 (2:59)
Welterweight: Emiliano Moreno def. Arnold Gonzalez by unanimous decision (79-73, 78-74, 78-74)
Heavyweight: Kashaun Davis def. Mihai Nistor by unanimous decision (80-71, 80-71, 79-72)
Featherweight: Troy Nash def. Ethan Perez by majority decision (79-73, 79-73, 76-76)
Super Featherweight: Andres Sosa def. Dominique Francis by unanimous decision (79-72, 78-73, 77-73)
Watch
Edgar Berlanga vs. Steven Butler, Main Event Video Highlights
Zuffa Boxing 9: Berlanga vs. Butler, Pre-Show and First Prelim
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