Edgar Berlanga vs. Steven Butler: Zuffa Boxing 9 Card, Odds and Start Time for Sunday’s Madison Square Garden Showdown
New York, NY — Zuffa Boxing makes its long-awaited debut in New York City on Sunday, July 26, 2026, headlined by a high-stakes super middleweight clash between Puerto Rican star Edgar Berlanga and hard-hitting Canadian contender Steven “Bang Bang” Butler. The 10-round main event tops Zuffa Boxing 9, streaming live on Paramount+ from the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Fight Card, Date and How to Watch
Zuffa Boxing 9 airs exclusively on Paramount+, with no pay-per-view purchase required. The preliminary card begins at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT), followed by the main card at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). Main event ring walks are expected around 10 p.m. ET.
Date: Sunday, July 26, 2026
Venue: Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City
Streaming: Paramount+ (prelims and main card, no additional fee)
Prelims: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT
Main Card: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
The broadcast booth features Joe Tessitore on blow-by-blow duties alongside analysts Max Kellerman and Andre Ward.
Berlanga Looks to Rebound After Layoff and Back-to-Back Setbacks
Edgar Berlanga (23-2, 18 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time in a year, looking to erase the memory of a fifth-round knockout loss to Hamzah Sheeraz last July. That defeat came on the heels of a lopsided decision loss to Canelo Alvarez in September 2024, leaving the 29-year-old Brooklyn-based Puerto Rican fighter in a difficult 1-2 stretch after years as one of boxing’s most talked-about prospects.
A win over Butler would go a long way toward restoring Berlanga’s standing in a crowded 168-pound division, and reports suggest he has recommitted himself in training camp after the Sheeraz setback.
Butler Enters on a Four-Fight Win Streak
Steven Butler (38-5-1, 32 KOs) presents a dangerous style test for Berlanga. The Montreal native has won four straight fights, including a second-round stoppage of Ramadan Hiseni back in March, and has finished six of his last seven opponents by knockout. At 30 years old, Butler is regarded as a heavy-handed puncher who has previously challenged for a world title, making this his highest-profile American platform to date.
Odds Favor Berlanga, But Butler’s Power Looms
Sportsbooks list Berlanga as a significant favorite at -370, with Butler priced at +275 as the underdog. Analysts note that while Butler carries more current momentum, Berlanga has generally faced tougher opposition across his career — and with his back against the wall, many expect an aggressive, knockout-seeking approach from “The Chosen One.”
Stacked Co-Main and Undercard
Zuffa Boxing 9 also features a hometown welterweight co-main event, as undefeated former IBF junior welterweight titleholder Richardson Hitchins (20-0, 8 KOs) moves up in weight to face Mexico’s Ricardo Salas (24-2-2, 18 KOs) over 12 rounds.
Additional main card bouts include:
Middleweight: Jalil Hackett (12-1) vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko (16-6)
Heavyweight: Otto Wallin (28-3) vs. Vladyslav Sirenko (22-1)
The preliminary card features:
Welterweight: Emiliano Moreno (12-1) vs. Arnold Gonzalez (18-1)
Heavyweight: Kashaun Davis (11-0) vs. Mihai Nistor (8-0)
Featherweight: Troy Nash (7-0-1) vs. Ethan Perez (8-0-1)
Super Featherweight: Dominique Francis (16-0) vs. Andres Sosa (18-4)
Sunday’s card marks Zuffa Boxing’s first event in New York City and its debut at Madison Square Garden’s Infosys Theater — a venue with decades of championship boxing history. Backed by TKO Group, the promotion continues to build its roster with recognizable names, and a marquee win for Berlanga in front of a hometown-adjacent crowd could set up bigger fights in the super middleweight division heading into 2027.
Fans can stream the complete Zuffa Boxing 9 card, from first prelim bout to the Berlanga-Butler main event, live on Paramount+ starting at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 26.
