The Ring has learned that Richardson Hitchins has been ordered to defend his IBF junior welterweight belt against his mandatory challenger, Lindolfo Delgado, next. The two sides were given 30 days from Tuesday to work out an agreement. If that doesn’t happen, a purse bid will be called.

Delgado is ranked No. 1 by the IBF. Duarte is ranked third. The second spot is vacant.

While the news might be music to Delgado’s ears, Duarte must be livid. The 30-year-old contender from Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico, was just hours away from fighting Hitchins in the co-main event on “The Ring: High Stakes” show Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

However, after making the 140-pound weight limit Friday and adhering to the IBF’s second-day weigh-in restrictions Saturday, when both fighters had to come in no more than 10 pounds over 140, Hitchins fell ill. Members of Hitchins’ team claimed that the 28-year-old champion began vomiting profusely shortly after breakfast, leading to him pulling out of the fight.

Duarte was apoplectic. From his point of view, Hitchins simply wasn’t man enough to get in the ring with him.

“They let me know he was sick, but they didn’t really specify [what was wrong],” Duarte told DAZN’s Chris Mannix on Saturday night. “Really, what I think is that he got scared of the moment. He was scared and he didn’t have the balls to be here [Saturday night].”

Although Duarte (30-2-1, 23 KOs) has said Hitchins should be forced to either vacate or fight him next, the Brooklyn native won’t be required to do either.

Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) was allowed a voluntary title defense, which freed him up for a clash with Duarte, who is more known to the public than Delgado. Despite the abrupt cancelation, the 2016 Olympian is no longer allowed that grace period and must make a mandatory defense against Delgado next.

Mexico’s Delgado, 31, nearly lost his chance at fighting for the IBF title thanks to a shaky performance against Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela on November 15 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Delgado (24-0, 16 KOs) was rocked and dropped in the 12th round, but he ultimately escaped with a split-decision win.

Hitchins has repeatedly complained about the IBF’s second-day weigh-ins. He has also said in recent interviews that his days at 140 pounds are nearly over due to his struggles to make the weight.

When last seen in the ring, Hitchins nevertheless looked spectacular, stopping George Kambosos Jr. in the eighth round on June 14 in The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Duarte, 30, has picked up four consecutive wins since getting stopped in the eighth round by Ryan Garcia in December 2023. He most recently beat Kenneth Sims Jr. (22-3-1, 8 KOs) by majority decision in a WBA elimination match August 2 in Chicago.