World-rated super middleweight contender Darius “DFG” Fulghum (15-1-1, 13 KOs) is convinced his November 14th opponent, undefeated Diego Pacheco (26-0, 19 KOs), picked the wrong fighter for their main event showdown at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Pacheco is world rated by all 4 major sanctioning bodies – WBO #2, WBC #3, WBA #5 and IBF #13 — plus Ring Magazine #6. He has curiously passed up several potential world title shots to instead take on Fulghum, who is rated No. 4 by the WBA.
Why is the question…..
Is he showing Fulghum some form of admiring respect?
Does he think Fulghum’s an easier opponent for him?
Frankly, WBA No 4-rated Fulghum doesn’t care why. After all, he publicly called out Pacheco a few months ago.
“I don’t really know what’s going on with him and I don’t care,” Fulghum proclaimed. “He’s had plenty of opportunities to fight for a world title. They made a mistake picking me!”
Fulghum is hoping an impressive victory for him, in what is similar to a title eliminator without the mandatory challenger guarantee, will put the talented Texan in line for his first world title shot.
Pacheco will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) International and World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver super middleweight titles in “The Fight” card’s 10-round main event, which will be shown live on DAZN, TNT and truTV.
“I’m going into this fight with some mean intentions,” Fulghum noted. “I always say each fight is my most important, even in the beginning of my career or I wouldn’t be where I am. Like it or not, you need to respect the sport.”
A resident of Houston, Fulghum has been at training camp in Brickhouse Boxing Club in North Hollywood in California. His head trainer, Darnell Pierce, remains in that position but Julian Chua has been fine-tuning Fulghum’s vast skills.
“I believe Darius has almost the perfect style to give Diego problems,” Chua noted. “We’re very confident in what he brings to that matchup. If Darius goes out there and beats Pacheco, I absolutely believe he will deserve a world title shot. At that point, he will have earned the opportunity to fight for one.”
Fulghum was a decorated amateur boxer who was ranked No. 1 in the USA as a heavyweight, although as a professional he’s fought solely as a super middleweight. He was the 2018 National Golden Gloves Tournament Champion, and he also won the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Pacheco was the No. 1 ranked amateur middleweight in the U.S. and Mexico, winning 9 national titles.
Fulghum is working with 3 Point Management (3 PM), which has a growing stable of gifted boxers including former WBA & WBO Cruiserweight and WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (48-2, 30 KOs), WBA No. 1-rated world super flyweight title contender John “Scrappy” Ramirez (17-1, 9 KOs), former WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (21-3, 17 KOs), former WBA Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight Champion, Canadian Kareem “Supreme” Hackett (13-1, 7 KOs), Armenian featherweight Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan (23-6, 17 KOs), and German junior welterweight Simon “Saucy” Vollmer (7-0, 3 KOs).
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