Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem Interview on His Next Fight

In the Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem FIGHT TALK WITH YOUR BOY THE WHATS NEXT KID interview, the 8-0 Top Rank boxer said he expects to fight again in November or December, though he does not yet know his opponent. Crocklem also discussed why patience has mattered in his professional fights, what winning the 2024 Olympic Trials meant to his mother, and how J. Prince helped him reach Top Rank.

What has Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem learned from turning professional?

Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem said patience is the biggest lesson of his first eight professional fights. He did not find the move from amateur boxing especially difficult because he had sparred professionals from a young age, but longer rounds have required him to spend more time finding shots rather than expecting constant exchanges.

Patience across eight professional fights

Crocklem said he feels good about his 8-0 start. He described finding ways to deal with each opponent, whether by knocking them out or by boxing. The result has reinforced his view that his career is moving as it should, even as the professional style asks him to work at a different pace.

In the amateurs, he said, exchanges could keep clicking throughout a bout. As a professional, he has had to look for openings and choose his shots over longer rounds. Crocklem identified that working patience—not simply waiting—as the adjustment he continues to make.

Sparring professionals at 16

The style itself was familiar before his debut. Crocklem said he had sparred numerous professional boxers and had begun adapting to their approach at 16. That preparation made turning professional easier and more enjoyable than he had expected: he wanted to see how the skills he had developed would hold up in professional fights.

What did Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem say about his amateur boxing career?

Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem said his 2024 Olympic Trials win meant the most among his amateur championships because his mother prayed every day for him to earn that opportunity. He also credited the amateur system with building his confidence and said he had decided to pursue boxing as a career at eight or nine years old.

The 2024 Olympic Trials and his mother

Crocklem described the Trials as a chance to make his mother proud. She had prayed for him to get the belt and an opportunity connected to the Olympics; for him, reaching that point showed that what they had worked and prayed for together was happening. He said the amateur experience helped make him the fighter he is now, while giving him confidence to show more of himself as a professional.

Choosing boxing at eight or nine

That commitment began well before his Junior Olympics titles. Crocklem said he knew at eight or nine that boxing was the career path he wanted and that he intended to dedicate his life to it. His mother had invested substantial money in his boxing, and he remembered her telling him not to let that investment go to waste.

When Crocklem introduced himself, he named Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Tacoma, Washington, as places in his story. He described himself as a nine-time national champion, a five-time Junior Olympics champion and a 2024 Olympic alternate. For Crocklem, those amateur accomplishments provided a base for the professional career he had wanted since childhood.

How did Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem sign with Top Rank?

Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem said J. Prince helped put him in front of Top Rank after seeing him spar in Las Vegas, Nevada. Signing with the promotion had long been Crocklem’s goal. He also pointed to sparring with established professionals, including Keyshawn Davis, as experience that prepared him for this stage of his career.

J. Prince and the Top Rank opportunity

Crocklem placed the beginning of that connection in 2022, after he returned from a fight in Canada and went to Las Vegas. He said J. Prince saw him spar several times and promised to put him in the right positions and in front of the right people. A few months later, Crocklem said, Prince introduced him to Top Rank.

The promotion appealed to Crocklem because fighters he followed, including Terrence Crawford, had opportunities there and became world champions. He described signing with Top Rank as a goal he had held before Prince helped arrange the meeting, rather than a decision made only after the opportunity arrived.

Work with Keyshawn Davis

Crocklem also named Keyshawn Davis among the professionals he has sparred. He said he worked with Davis ahead of one of Davis’s fights, and described other sparring with experienced fighters, including a boxer from Seattle, Washington, whom he said he had worked with since he was 16. Those sessions were part of the early exposure to professional boxing that eased his transition.

When does Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem expect his next fight?

Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem expects his next fight in November or December, but said the date and opponent had not been confirmed. He expects it to be his final fight of the year. Looking ahead, he hopes to fight three or four times the following year and face stronger opposition, including undefeated boxers and veterans.

Waiting for a date and opponent

Crocklem said discussions about his return were ongoing. He had no opponent to announce and expected to share a name only after potential opponents had been put to him. In the meantime, his approach was to keep training so he would be ready when the call came.

Stepping up the opposition

The next stage matters to him as much as the number of fights. Crocklem said he wants the chance to test himself against more experienced and undefeated opponents as his professional career develops. He presented those matchups as something he has wanted from the start, not a change of direction forced by his 8-0 record.

Crocklem’s account of that ambition was direct. He said:

I'm just chasing a big dream from Tacoma, Washington, man

How did Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem get his nickname and train for fights?

Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem said his cousin and mother came up with his boxing nickname while joking about names before he started boxing. His training now commonly includes sparring on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with gym sessions that can begin in the morning and be followed by another session that evening.

A name from his family

Crocklem traced “Yung Hitta” to conversations with his cousin and mother, not to a professional fight. They were trying out names before he had even begun boxing. The nickname stayed with him as the childhood interest he described grew into an amateur career and then a professional one.

Days in the gym

His schedule varies according to whether sparring work is available, but he said Monday, Wednesday and Friday are his usual sparring days. He described some days beginning with training at about 10 in the morning and continuing with a return to the gym around six or seven in the evening. In a full camp, he said, training can start at 8 a.m. For now, the routine also serves a practical purpose: staying ready while his next fight is arranged.

Who is Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem?

Dedrick “Yung Hitta” Crocklem is a professional super featherweight boxer. He is known for his work ethic and faith in God, and brings speed, power and determination to his boxing.