“I don’t need a buzz to go in there and cash a 7 figure check,” Hitchins said on X after a fan mocked the lack of interest surrounding the matchup.

Hitchins is moving up to 147 pounds after vacating his IBF light welterweight title. Salas is widely viewed as a safe opponent for Hitchins to get comfortable in the division before pursuing one of its more prominent names.

The 28-year-old also became involved in an exchange with Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who criticized the level of Hitchins’ opposition.

Hitchins responded by attacking Tank’s résumé and naming several of his past opponents.

“Say I’m fighting a bum but fought Frank, who is a straight bum, brought up Hector, who is a 130 bum, fought Rolly, who was green at the time, fought a washed-up Gamboa and tried to bring up Lamont, which that one failed,” Hitchins wrote.

“This is facts. How you gone say I’m fighting a nobody when you made dog [expletive] in boxing fighting literally nobodys besides Ryan Garcia, that was TikTok famous, and a drained inexperienced kid?”

Hitchins will face Salas at Madison Square Garden on Zuffa Boxing’s July 26 card. The matchmaking gives him an opportunity to look impressive without taking a major risk in his first appearance at welterweight.

That approach is different from the sink-or-swim matchmaking often associated with Dana White in the UFC. White, however, is not believed to have complete control over Zuffa Boxing’s opponent selection, and Turki Alalshikh could also have input into how Hitchins is being developed.

A convincing win would leave Hitchins available for a larger fight against Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Conor Benn, Teofimo Lopez or Rolly Romero.