Darius Fulghum (14-0, 12 KOs) takes on Bektemir Melikuziev (15-1, 10 KOs) this Friday, May 30 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in a high-stakes WBA super middleweight title eliminator. The card streams live on DAZN starting at 6:00 PM PT / 9:00 PM ET / 2:00 AM BST.
Both men are fighting for more than a ranking — this is about a shot at the 168-pound throne.
Real consequences, real fighters, no fluff
Fulghum’s confident. “There is going to be separation in the super middleweight division,” he said. “Plant fights the day after my fight in Las Vegas, but Canelo holds all the cards.”
Canelo Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) remains the king at super middleweight. After beating William Scull in May, he’s set to face Terence Crawford on September 12. That leaves his belts in limbo. The winner of Fulghum vs. Melikuziev could be next in line — assuming the sanctioning bodies grow a spine.
Melikuziev, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist, wants redemption after his lone loss to Gabe Rosado. He’s rebuilt and stayed dangerous. Ranked No. 3 by the WBA, he’s ready to put Fulghum’s hype to the test.
And Fulghum? A former amateur standout and Golden Gloves champ, he’s been smashing through opponents while juggling a nursing degree. Now he’s after real names, real stakes, and a real shot at the title.
“This eliminator sets up everything for me and I’m all business,” Fulghum said. “Every fight I’ve had was do-or-die. I wouldn’t be here if I’d lost.”
This is the fight that makes sense — the rest is noise
Forget the alphabet soup rankings. This is the eliminator that matters.
Caleb Plant, Christian Mbilli, Lester Martinez — they’re all sitting pretty. But Fulghum and Melikuziev are the ones stepping up. No soft touches. No padded records. No excuses.
If Canelo drops his belts after the Crawford fight or gets stripped, the winner of this fight is at the front of the line.
And if he doesn’t? The pressure will keep mounting until the WBA is forced to act.
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Start time and time zones
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Local Time (Las Vegas): 6:00 PM PT
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USA Eastern Time: 9:00 PM ET
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UK Time: 2:00 AM BST (Saturday)
Where to watch
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Live on DAZN (monthly or annual subscription required)
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No PPV — included with regular DAZN subscription
Who’s fighting
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Darius Fulghum vs. Bektemir Melikuziev, 12 rounds, super middleweight (168 lbs)
Full fight card
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Darius Fulghum vs. Bektemir Melikuziev, 12 rounds, super middleweight
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Angel Chavez vs. Edgar Romero, 8 rounds, featherweight
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Danya Ceballos vs. Michael Mendez, 6 rounds, lightweight
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Alan Garcia vs. Steven Galeano, 8 rounds, junior welterweight
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Moses Johnson vs. Brandon Carmack, 8 rounds, heavyweight