Fight By Fight Preview | Zuffa Boxing 09

The main event sees Brooklyn’s own Edgar Berlanga return to New York City as he embarks on the latest chapter of his career with Zuffa Boxing. The former super middleweight title challenger will make his promotional debut in his hometown as he looks to bounce back from his stoppage defeat to Hamza Sheeraz last summer. “The Chosen One” has his sights set on the top of the 168-pound division, and on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, he’ll take on Canada’s Steven “Bang Bang” Butler, who heads into the bout on a four-fight, four-knockout streak since moving up to the super middleweight division. 

WATCH: Steven Butler Fight Week Interview | Zuffa Boxing 09

The Montreal native will be fighting outside of Canada for only the fourth time in his career, and he’ll look to improve a record that includes 38 victories, five defeats, one draw, with 32 wins by knockout.

Will Berlanga bounce back and push himself towards championship gold at 168 pounds, or will Butler spoil the party and announce his arrival among the super middleweight elite?

Co-Main Event: Richardson Hitchins vs Ricardo Salas

In the night’s co-main event, undefeated former super-lightweight world champion Richardson Hitchins steps up a weight class and joins Zuffa Boxing’s welterweight division. “Africa” is perfect through 20 career bouts, and after entering free agency, has opted to move up a weight class and sign with Zuffa Boxing to compete at 147 pounds.

WATCH: Ricardo Salas Fight Week Interview | Zuffa Boxing 09

Waiting to welcome him is Mexico’s Ricardo “Magic Man” Salas, who hasn’t lost in five years, and has 18 knockouts from his 24 career victories. Salas already has a stoppage victory in Zuffa Boxing to his name, courtesy of his eighth-round stoppage of Jesus Saracho at Zuffa Boxing 04 earlier this year. Now he looks to start stacking wins, and plans on taking Hitchins’ 0 in the process.

The fight offers both men the chance to lay down a marker in the 147-pound division, with Hitchins putting his undefeated record on the line against a heavy-hitting finisher.

Main Card Bout: Jalil Hackett vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko

The main card kicks off with a middleweight matchup, as 12-1 prospect Jalil Hackett returns to the Zuffa Boxing ring to take on Ukraine’s 16-6 Sergiy Derevyanchenko.

Hackett emerged from his Zuffa Boxing debut with a majority decision victory over Roberto Cruz Jr, but in truth, his performance was far more decisive than the scorecards might have suggested on the night. Now “El Mexicano” returns to the ring as he swaps the Meta APEX for the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden looking to deliver a big performance in front of a passionate New York crowd.

Standing in his way is 40-year-old Derevyanchenko, who returns from a 390-day layoff in a bid to make one more run at greatness. “The Technician” has fought for world championship gold three times before, but ended up on the wrong end of the scorecards on each occasion against Daniel Jacobs, Gennady Golovkin and Jermall Charlo. Derevyanchenko will look to claim a big win in his adopted home of New York as he returns to action in the Big Apple.

Preliminary Card Bouts

Otto Wallin vs Vladyslav Sirenko

Heavyweights feature at the top of the preliminary card, as Sweden’s 28-3 Otto Wallin returns to the ring to face 22-1 knockout artist from Ukraine, Vladislav Sirenko.

Wallin has a victory over current sanctioning body world champion Murat Gassiev while his only professional defeats have come against three of British boxing’s most storied heavyweights: Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Derek Chisora. Buoyed by his second-round knockout victory over Chris Thomas in Atlantic City last November, “All In” is eyeing a potential fight with fellow Zuffa Boxing heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba, and victory on Sunday night could see him edge closer to that bout.

Arnold Gonzalez vs Emiliano Moreno

The event will also see the third Zuffa Boxing appearance of rising featherweight prospect Troy “The Bank” Nash, who returns to take on fellow unbeaten 126-pounder Ethan Perez in an all-American battle of 21-year-old talents.

Colorado Springs’ Nash has become a familiar face to Zuffa Boxing fans, with his crisp boxing helping him to successive decision victories in his first two appearances. He’ll face San Antonio’s Perez, who fought to a majority draw with Jaycob Ramos at Zuffa Boxing 04 in March.

Dominique Francis vs Andres Sosa

The night kicks off with a super featherweight matchup, as undefeated 16-0 Dominique Francis puts his perfect record on the line against Argentina’s Andres Sosa.

Francis will end a significant layoff as he fights for the first time in 652 days when he returns this weekend. Prior to his hiatus, “Trapp” knocked out fellow undefeated prospect Julio Carrera Lugo in Stockton, California. Now he gets the chance to shine in New York City.

Standing across the ring will be “La Maquinita”, who is determined to bounce back after a decision defeat against 21-0 Luis Nunez last time out. The Argentine fighter hasn’t found his top form on American soil yet, having gone 1-3 in the United States so far in his career. But this weekend, in his first fight in New York, he gets the chance to turn things around with a big performance.