By Steven Cummings
Super middleweight Bektemir Melikuziev (16-1, 10 KOs) dropped previously unbeaten Darius Fulghum in the 12th to pull out a close unanimous decision victory on Friday night in the main event at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. Bek “The Bully” fought a high-energy battle with Fulgham (14-1, 12 KOs), overcoming a point deduction for holding in the seventh round.
Melikuziev continued his career comeback with his ninth straight win following his only loss, a KO3 at the hands of Gabe Rosado in 2021. That loss was avenged in 2023 with a unanimous decision victory.
This fight topped a DAZN telecast from The Theater at Virgin Hotels and it delivered on its promise of being a hotly contested matchup between two rising starts. Both fought for their futures from the opening bell, with the southpaw Melikuziev darting in and out to land shots on the taller, rangier Fulghum.
Oddly, Fulghum did his best work on the inside, while Melikuziev was undaunted by Fulghum’s reach advantage when he was at distance. Melikuziev repeatedly snapped Fulghum’s head back with both hands while throwing shots from unexpected angles.
Fulghum willingly joined the battle whenever he got tagged and busted up Melekuziev’s nose which bled for most of the fight. At times, Fulghum was off-balance when he got popped and staggered from the blows.
One such time was in the 12th when Melikuziev landed to the body and followed with a left to the head that floored Fulghum. The knockdown negated the point deduction and gave Melikuziev the margin on the final scores, 114-112 x 3.
Golden Boy Promotions put on this entertaining fight card, topped by the 50/50 main event. Bek The Bully moves forward in his career with a lot of momentum, but Darius Fulghum didn’t lose much on this night. There was a lot to learn from in this first career loss, but at the same time, he won’t face many fighters with the unusual style nuances of Melikuziev.
