American boxer Richardson Hitchins made a successful comeback in the welterweight division by beating Mexican Ricardo “Magic Man” Salas by unanimous decision.

The co-main event of the Zuffa Boxing 09 card, held at the Infosys Theater facilities in Madison Square Garden in New York, was resolved with three identical 100-90 scores in favor of the local athlete, allowing him to raise his professional record to 21 wins without losses, with 8 fast-track definitions.

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From the first round of the fight, the visiting boxer sought to shorten the distance to force exchanges at close range. However, Richardson Hitchins' performance allowed him to neutralize the rival's attempts through a constant left jab and lateral movements that gave him control of the space in the center of the ring during the first three episodes of the clash.

Tactical dominance and volume of hits

Starting in the fourth chapter, the North American corner decided to increase the pace of the fight. The New York athlete began to combine his straight attacks with hooks to the middle zone, while Salas maintained the offensive without being able to find the angles to connect forcefully.

At the end of the actions of that first stage, Richardson Hitchins analyzed the adjustment of his strategy during the interview given about the ring to the official broadcast of the event: "We knew that he would come out to pressure from the beginning, so the plan consisted of staying calm, using the jab to dictate the distance and waiting for the right moment to release longer combinations. I felt comfortable in the weight and in control of the ring at all times," declared the athlete into the microphone of the television signal.

The defensive deployment in the second half

The dynamics of the confrontation leaned in favor of the local representation during the second half of the duel. In the fifth and sixth episodes, the former world champion exhibited precision in his guard, causing the opponent's mistakes to immediately respond with clean combinations to the face and torso.

By the eighth round, the technical disparity regarding the roping became more evident. The American boxer cornered his rival against the stringer in several passages of the round, applying systematic punishment without receiving an effective defensive response from the Mexican athlete.

Closing of the fight and outlook at 147 pounds

The last two rounds maintained the same tactical development on the mat. Although the visiting fighter continued to seek the initiative until the final bell, the mastery of space and the precision of the impacts allowed the local corner to close the ten regulatory episodes with an advantage in the jury's official evaluations.

In the press conference after the evening, the athlete reflected on the meaning of this result after recently giving up the IBF 140-pound belt to join his new promotional company: "Going up to welterweight and debuting with Zuffa Boxing represented an important challenge for my career. This performance shows that my body responds better at 147 pounds, with greater speed and strength to compete against any of the main names in the division," the athlete pointed out to the media. present at the New York venue.

In this way, Richardson Hitchins' victory confirms his adaptation to the welterweight category within the Zuffa Boxing circuit. With the undefeated record preserved, the representation of the New York boxer will seek to initiate the corresponding efforts to schedule high-profile fights within the international classifications of the division.

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