Richardson Hitchins’ ability to stick and move will be put to the test when he defends his IBF 140-pound title against a relentless pressure fighter in Oscar Duarte at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on DAZN PPV.

Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) is making the second defense of his belt, while Duarte (30-2-1, 23 KOs) will be in his first world title fight.

Also on the card, WBA 140-pound champion Gary Antuanne Russell (18-1, 17 KOs) will defend against Japan’s Andy Hiraoka (24-0, 19 KOs). 

Hitchins' first title defense was an eighth-round stoppage of former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos on June 14 in New York. The 28-year-old New York native won the IBF belt in 2024 with a split decision victory over Liam Paro. 

Duarte, 30, of Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico, has won four straight fights since losing by eighth-round knockout to Garcia in 2023. He’s coming off a majority decision over Kenneth Sims Jr. on Aug. 2 in Sims' hometown of Chicago.

Odds: Hitchins is an overwhelming favorite at -550 odds, while Duarte is a +380 underdog, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. 

How does Hitchins win? Hitchins has the advantage in speed and skill, and he’ll need to lean on both if he’s going to get past Duarte. 

Hitchins’ jab is going to be a vital weapon in setting up the rest of his offense and keeping Duarte at the end of his punches. It was also the punch Sims had the most success with against Duarte, as he landed it 119 times, according to CompuBox. Hitchins also boasts a three-inch reach advantage, which will help in keeping Duarte on the outside.

While Hitchins’ footwork and speed are far superior to Duarte’s, he shouldn’t stay on the move the whole fight. It’d behoove Hitchins to push Duarte back at times and to keep him turning so he can't set his feet to throw. He also has to keep the fight in the center of the ring. He can’t afford to be trapped along the ropes like Sims was for much of his fight with Duarte. 

Hitchins would also be wise to attack the body. A few good body shots a round could potentially slow Duarte down later in the fight. Hitchins proved he’s capable of doing so when he hurt Kambosos downstairs before stopping him with a left hook to the body.

How does Duarte win? Duarte needs to push the pace and keep Hitchins along the ropes if he’s going to pull off the upset. 

Against Sims, Duarte had his best moments of the fight when he was able to work his way to the inside and get Sims along the ropes, where he threw power shots. His ability to throw combinations on the inside and connect with the bigger shots was ultimately the difference maker. Duarte threw 900 punches compared to 669 for Sims and outlanded him 172 to 110 in power shots.

The formula shouldn't be all that different if he’s going to beat Hitchins. Duarte also needs to maintain a high work rate and dig to the body throughout the fight to try to slow Hitchins down as the fight progresses. Once he’s able to get to the inside, Duarte can’t smother his attack or allow Hitchins to tie him up on the inside like he was able to do in his close unanimous decision win over Gustavo Lemos in 2024. 

Defensively, Duarte needs to find a way to take away Hitchins’ jab. Sims easily had his most success working behind the jab, and if Duarte can’t slip or counter Hitchins’ jab, a tall task will be that much more difficult for him. 

What it means if Hitchins wins: Hitchins would have a strong claim as the second-best 140-pounder in the world. He’d also be the longest-reigning champion in the weight class, regardless of whether Russell beats Hiraoka earlier in the night. 

A win should set the table for unification bouts for Hitchins. A potential bout against Dalton Smith would make for an intriguing clash, while facing Stevenson would likely be a high-level chess match between two slick operators. 

If Hitchins can definitively get past Duarte, it’d show significant growth in his game since he beat Lemos and also be a sign that he’s just scratching the surface of his potential at 140 pounds and beyond. 

What it means if Duarte wins: A win for Duarte could mark an entire changing of the guard at 140 pounds, not even two months into the year. Smith started it with his fifth-round stoppage of Subriel Matias to become the IBF champion, while Stevenson became the Ring and WBO titleholder with his dominating unanimous decision over Teofimo Lopez in January.What it means if Hitchins wins: Hitchins would have a strong claim as the second-best 140-pounder in the world. He’d also be the longest-reigning champion in the weight class, regardless of whether Russell beats Hiraoka earlier in the night. 

A win should set the table for unification bouts for Hitchins. A potential bout against Dalton Smith would make for an intriguing clash, while facing Stevenson would likely be a high-level chess match between two slick operators. 

If Hitchins can definitively get past Duarte, it’d show significant growth in his game since he beat Lemos and also be a sign that he’s just scratching the surface of his potential at 140 pounds and beyond. 

What it means if Duarte wins: A win for Duarte could mark an entire changing of the guard at 140 pounds, not even two months into the year. Smith started it with his fifth-round stoppage of Subriel Matias to become the IBF champion, while Stevenson became the Ring and WBO titleholder with his dominating unanimous decision over Teofimo Lopez in January.

If Duarte can get past Hitchins, it’d mark quite the transformation for him to go from an "opponent" in a comeback fight for Garcia to a world champion just over two years later. And with his relentless style and pressure, it’s going to take a special and gritty performance if someone is going to take the title from Duarte’s grasp. 

What they’re saying: “Tough fight. He’s gonna be rugged. He’s trained by one of the best trainers in the sport of boxing, which is Robert Garcia. I know they’re coming up with a game plan to defeat me. I’m coming up with a game plan to defeat them, and I feel like I should put on a dominant performance, and I’m looking forward to it.” – Hitchins

I want to be a champion [and] whoever is in front of me, I’m going to take him out.” – Duarte

TV/Stream: DAZN will distribute “The Ring: High Stakes” to non-subscribers on pay-per-view for $69.99 in the United States and £24.99 in the United Kingdom. The show is included in DAZN’s Ultimate monthly plan for subscribers ($44.99; £24.99).