Bektemir Melikuziev floors Darius Fulghum late, wins decision in terrific fight

LAS VEGAS – Bektemir Melikuziev and Darius Fulghum rose to the occasion in the toughest test of their respective careers. 

A strong twelfth-round finish and knockdown was the difference on all three scorecards as Melikuziev earned a unanimous decision. All three judges scored the contest 114-112 for Uzbekistan’s Melikuziev, who fought through training camp injuries, a bloody nose and swollen left eye to prevail in their Golden Boy Fight Night on DAZN main event Friday evening from Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. 

With the win, Melikuziev is the now the mandatory challenger for the WBA super middleweight title.

“This was a very tough fight,” Melikuziev told BoxingScene and other reporters after his career-best win. “I suffered a fractured nose during training camp. We couldn’t spar for two weeks and then suffered a similar injury when I returned.” 

The most significant punches in the early rounds were landed by Melikuziev, particularly his left hand. 

The Uzbek southpaw first connected with a looping left to the body behind a right jab upstairs. Fulghum never managed to get his offense on track, as he only offered a flicking jab that didn’t have any effect on the well-schooled Melikuziev, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist whose superior foot movement helped cover a lot of ground to set up his one-twos.

Melikuziev added to his lead in a dominant third. The chin of Fulghum was tested as Melikuziev connected with several left hands upstairs. Fulghum was briefly trapped along the ropes as he attempted to steady his legs but managed to survive the worst of that sequence. 

The movement of Melikuziev in between punches disallowed Fulghum to set his feet and let loose with his power shots. An adjustment was made in the fourth, as the unbeaten Houston-based contender enjoyed greater success with his right hand. Melikuziev still had his say but was also forced to fend off the taller and younger Fulghum for the first time on the night.

Chants of “DFG” (“Destined for Greatness”) filled the venue in support of Fulghum throughout the night. It lifted the spirit of the Prairie View A&M University graduate, only for Melikuziev to provide a scare late in the fifth. Non-consecutive left hands snapped back the head of Fulghum late in the frame as he suddenly ran out of ways to keep Melikuziev honest.

Things didn’t improve much for Fulghum in the sixth but he caught a break one round later. Referee Thomas Taylor instructed the three judges to deduct a point from Melikuziev for holding and pushing Fulghum into the ropes. Fulghum wasn’t able to completely capitalize on the moment, though he connected with a right hand to the body late in the round.

Melikuziev briefly lost his footing at the start of the eighth. He recovered quickly enough to crash a left hand on Fulghum’s chin and snap back his head. An attempted repeat sequence was countered by a Fulghum right hand at center ring. Melikuziev spent the final minute bouncing on his toes and then leaping in with left-hand power shots.

Fulghum found a way to mix it up in the ninth. He shook off a left hand and targeted Melikuziev’s body. A left hand by Melikuziev was followed up by a rare right hook, which put a smile on the face of videographer Sean Zittel who called for the shot all night from press row. Fulghum shook off the blow and responded with a two-punch combination upstairs.

Another warning was issued to Melikuziev for holding Fulghum’s head in the tenth. He disciplined himself enough to seize momentum late in the frame. A one-two down the middle buckled the knees of Fulghum and Melikuziev steadily remained on the attack to close out the frame. 

Fulghum opened the eleventh with a right hand upstairs. Melikuziev quickly seized momentum and once again hurt his foe with his potent left hand. 

Fulghum turned the tide with a flush right hand midway through the round. Melikuziev rebounded and landed a flurry of power shots as he fought through a bloody nose. He missed wildly later in the frame and his momentum forced him to the canvas, which was correctly ruled a slip. Fulghum suffered a similar sequence when he lost his footing and fell to the deck.

Melikuziev did his best to take the fight out of the judges’ hands – or at least remove any doubt – at the start of the twelfth and final round. 

A left hand to the body and then one up top forced Fulghum into the ropes and onto his behind for the bout’s lone knockdown. Fulghum beat the count and still had the support of the rabid crowd, but not an answer for Melikuziev’s superior power and combinations. Melikuziev slipped a jab and countered with a one-two. Fulghum went on the hunt in the closing seconds but could not land a game-changer.

Fulghum, 14-1 (12 KOs) left the ring with his first career defeat but answered a lot of questions about whether he was being moved too quickly on this stage. His chin held up for most of the fight and he was able to fight on relatively even terms until the end. 

Meanwhile, Melikuziev, 16-1 (10 KOs) will await further instructions. 

Friday’s win was his ninth in a row since a stunning knockout loss to Gabriel Rosado, which Melikuziev avenged during his current run. 

The opportunity to move into contention was a welcomed alternative to getting in the ring earlier this year, although it led to other issues in camp. 

“We were originally supposed to fight on the April 19 card [headlined by Gabriela Fundora’s undisputed flyweight championship defense],” Melikuziev revealed. “That didn’t happen but then this opportunity arose so we took it.”

Whether he becomes the mandatory for the WBA "Super" title held by undisputed champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, 63-2-2 (39 KOs) or interim titleholder Caleb Plant, 23-2 (14 KOs) is for the sanctioning body to determine.

All that Melikuziev and his team want confirmed is that a clear path to a belt is in his future. 

“We’re here to fight the champions,” Melikuziev stated. “It doesn’t matter who, but we are here to win the world title. Right now, Canelo and Plant are the champs, so they are our targets. 

“Our goal has always been the same, we’re here to fight anybody.”

Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on and .