Hitchins, The Ring’s No. 2 contender at 140 pounds, recently signed with Zuffa Boxing and now joins Conor Benn in the promotion’s welterweight division.

“It was a tough decision for Hitchins, but he’s outgrown the weight class; he’s been fighting at 140 since he was 16 as an amateur,” said Connolly, who also manages Benn. “Hitchins is an elite fighter and I truly believe he’ll be even better and stronger at welterweight and that he will be fighting for a world title at 147 in the next 12 months.”

Brooklyn’s Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) was in talks for a mandatory title defense against Mexico’s Lindolfo Delgado.

The IBF now must fill the vacancy at 140 with the No. 1-ranked Delgado against the next available contender. That’s currently Oscar Duarte, who’s ranked third (the No. 2 spot is vacant).

Mexico’s Duarte was set to challenge Hitchins for the IBF title in the chief-support bout to Ryan Garcia-Mario Barrios on February 21 in Las Vegas. On fight day, Hitchins fell ill and withdrew from the bout.

He pulled out after the IBF’s mandated same-day weigh-in, which limits champions and challengers from adding more than 10 pounds above their division’s limit the morning of fights. The IBF is the only one of boxing’s four sanctioning bodies that requires second-day weigh-ins.

Delgado and Duarte are both trained by Robert Garcia in Southern California. Duarte is scheduled to return against Angel Fierro on the David Benavidez-Gilberto Ramirez undercard May 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Hitchins, 28, defeated Australia’s Liam Paro via split decision in December 2024 to win the title. He made one defense, an eighth-round stoppage of former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos on June 14.