What to Know
- Super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco would love to score his third knockout win at the War Grounds for his hometown fans on Saturday.
- Standing in his way is Darius Fulghum, who knows it might be his only opportunity to tee up a title fight with a win.
- Will the weather be a factor outside during a rainy weekend? The card is part of “The Fight” series, airing both on TNT Sports and DAZN Boxing starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, with prelims on DAZN starting at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.
Super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco has a golden opportunity on Saturday, even if it comes under gray skies at the War Grounds in Carson, California’s open-air arena.
In front of his hometown Los Angeles fans, Pacheco (26-0, 19 KOs) and his opponent Darius Fulghum of Houston (15-1-1, 13 KOs) will perform in front of one of the last large audiences for boxing on cable television as part of the monthly series “The Fight” on TNT Sports. DAZN subscribers can also watch as part of their regular subscription.
The main card airs both on TNT Sports and DAZN Boxing starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, with prelims on DAZN starting at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.
With an impressive performance, the winner can expect good things to come his way in a busy and competitive super middleweight division in 2027.
Diego Pacheco: Progress Coming Slowly
Pacheco, age 25, is settling in with trainer Buddy McGirt. The pair turned down a potential title fight opportunity with Jaime Munguia in order to develop their working relationship before a championship challenge. Instead, he fought Immanuwel Aleem. The decision drew a lot of skepticism.
Pacheco will also lean into some of that Carson magic, even if it rains. Hardcore fans may remember the wild showdown between Oscar Valdez and Scott Quigg in 2018 took place in the pouring rain. For my Southern California friends, borrow a slicker or poncho and join me.
Golden Boy Boxing CEO Eric Gomez thanked Pacheco for taking the fight with Fulghum, calling it a dangerous choice. “I think you guys made a mistake picking Darius because he’s dangerous, but at the same time, you gotta love it. You gotta commend a fighter like Diego. He wants to be great, and he has to get past guys like Darius.
“But look, Darius is a dangerous mother, and he’s been wanting this fight for a while,” said Gomez.
Darius Fulghum: No One’s Seen My Best
“No one’s seen the best version of me yet, and you’ll see it on the 14th,” vowed Fulghum. He says he sees holes in Pacheco’s game and he’ll exploit them Saturday.
Fulghum also recognized all the military veterans in his circle, including his trainer and his father, during Veterans Day week. “Man, you know I always joke (with my father). You know he didn’t bless me with generational wealth, but one thing he did bless me with was generational work ethic, and I put that to full use in this camp, and that’s why I’m confident. I know I’m winning,” said Fulghum during the final news conference this week to appreciative applause.
But it will take Fulghum using his best weapons against the favored Pacheco.
What’s In The Pacheco Toolkit?
With his 79-inch reach at 6-foot-4, Pacheco can use a strong jab as a timing and distance mechanism, keeping his opponents off guard and distracted. It’ss one of McGirt’s specialties. Call him the Jab Whisperer.
McGirt said he and Pacheco prepared for everything. “You know we worked hard. I’m glad he took the fight with this young man because we know it’s a tough fight, and we know there’s no such thing as an easy fight, especially at this stage of the game. I believe the better the opposition, the better Diego is.”
Pacheco is on familiar turf. It will be his eighth fight in Carson. “I’ve been here before, and I’m not here on accident. You know, I fought guys ranked higher than him before, and it’s what I do. You know, it’s another fight for me. Of course, I’m not overlooking him. I’m never taking any fight lightly at this stage.
“I did everything right this camp. You know, in the boxing gym, at home, you know, outside of the gym, I made sure I did everything right, and I’m just ready to go.”
What Does Fulghum Need to Do To Win?
It’s in Fulghum’s best interests to make the fight rough and a little dirty. Pacheco has the height and reach advantage and is working hard developing the tools to exploit this, but he’s also more than willing to give up his advantages and fight on the inside.
With his hometown fans cheering him on and a national television audience watching, Pacheco needs to avoid throwing caution to the wind and trying to impress with an entertaining performance instead of focusing on a win. McGirt will work to keep him settled, and he should emerge with a win.
Royalty at the War Grounds in Co-Main
The fight many hardcore fans are most excited about is the co-main event, the only world championship fight on the card, featuring a fifth title defense by WBO World Flyweight champion Anthony “La Princesa” Olascuaga (12-1, 9 KOs), a Los Angeles native who has never had a hometown fight as a pro, with many of his fights taking place in Japan.
Olascuaga will take on undefeated Olympian Yuberjen Martinez of Colombia (7-0, 7 KOs), bringing his perfect knockout record to the War Grounds for his first fight in the U.S.
“It’s a pleasure being here in front of all my people, my family, my friends, all the people that support me, finally getting to see me face to face, performing live for them,” said Olascuaga, who trains in Los Angeles alongside Junto Nakatani with Rudy Hernandez.
“I usually fight in Japan or anywhere else they need me to be. So, I’m finally excited to showcase my skills, my talent, and all my hard work in front of everybody,” said the man with the odd nickname. Trust us, just go with it.
Martinez was stone-faced and dead serious all week, declaring before the fight, “I’m going to leave my mark here in the U.S., and I’m ready to take it on Saturday night, and everybody’s going to know who I am.” It’s hard to tell from his record how he’ll stand up against a world-class talent like Olascuaga, who is expected to enjoy a homecoming party.
Time To Shine for Adeleye and Sheehy
British heavyweight David Adeleye (14-2, 13 KOs) returns to the ring after a wide-decision loss to Filip Hrgovic last year. But to Adeleye’s credit, he didn’t get knocked out like Moses Itauma.
He will face Alexander Flores of Los Angeles (21-6-1, 19 KOs), who’s well known on the regional club circuit. While his record reflects a lot of losses, it also reflects a lot of knockouts, and he’ll want to shine for his fans on national TV.
Undefeated lightweight Charlie Sheehy of Brisbane, California (13-0, 8 KOs) rounds out the main card against late replacement opponent Jose Matias Romero of Argentina (31-4-1, 11 KOs). Sheehy got a hot start to his pro career, but has stalled the past few years, and needs to ratchet up the activity heading into 2027 at age 28.
Before the Bell Action Under the (Hopefully) Sun
On the prelims, the prospects get to come out and play at the War Grounds.
Nishant Dev of India (7-0, 5 KOs) will fight for the first time in California, and only the second time as a pro with his parents in the audience, who’ve traveled from India to support him. He faces Sona Akale of St. Paul, Minnesota (10-5, 5 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round bout at super welterweight. Dev, who said he’s “working on perfection,” said it’s a big moment for him, and he’s delighted to have his mom’s cooking to help him make weight.
Flashy super featherweight Zaquin Moses of Newark, New Jersey (8-0, 4 KOs) brings his talents out to the West Coast for the first time. His opponent is Manuel Valentine Lerma of Rio Bravo, Mexico (5-3-1), making it a matchup of two 21-year-olds in the ring.
Heavyweight prospect Federico Pacheco of Los Angeles (11-0, 8 KOs) appears in his eighth fight in front of his California fans and the third in Carson against Jack May of Chino Hills, California (11-1, 10 KOs). Pacheco is the younger brother of Diego Pacheco, and soon enough we’ll be able to stop repeating this fact.
Frank Espinoza of Sacramento (5-0, 5 KOs) will try to maintain his perfect knockout record against Abisai Torres Diaz of Monterrey, Mexico (5-2-2, 1 KOs) in a middleweight bout. Espinoza said he’s been focused on improving his defense in the gym. “Defense wins championships,” said Espinoza.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
