Bektemir Melikuziev Edges Darius Fulghum in Thrilling WBA Title Eliminator
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 31 May 2025
In a high-stakes WBA super middleweight title eliminator at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Bektemir "Bek the Bully" Melikuziev (16-1, 10 KOs) secured a unanimous decision victory over previously unbeaten Darius Fulghum (14-1, 12 KOs). All three judges scored the bout 114-112 in favor of Melikuziev, marking a significant step toward a potential title shot for the Shoimbek, Uzbekistan native.
The bout was a showcase of resilience and tactical adjustments from both fighters. Melikuziev started strong, utilizing his signature body shots and left hands to control the early rounds. However, Fulghum responded in the middle rounds, landing effective uppercuts and targeting Melikuziev's body, which led to a bloody nose for the Uzbek southpaw .
A pivotal moment occurred in the seventh round when Melikuziev was penalized a point for excessive holding. Despite this setback, he regained momentum in the later rounds. In the 12th round, Melikuziev delivered a decisive body-head combination that sent Fulghum to the canvas for the first time in his career, effectively sealing the victory.
According to CompuBox, Melikuziev landed 170 of 442 punches, while Fulghum connected on 169 of 407. The fight featured several rounds where the difference in landed punches was minimal, highlighting the evenly matched nature of the contest. Melikuziev had a slight edge in power punches and body shots, which proved crucial in the judges' scoring.
Undercard Highlights
• The event also featured notable performances on the undercard. In the co-main event, Eric Priest (16-0, 8 KOs) delivered a dominant unanimous decision win over veteran Luis Arias (22-5-1, 11 KOs), with scores of 99-90, 99-90, and 96-93.
• Joshua Edwards def. Alexander Rhodes (R1, 2:08)
Federico Pacheco Jr def. Calvin Barnett by unanimous decision (58-55, 58-55, 58-55)
• Cayden Griffiths def. Edgar Gutierrez by KO (R4, 1:15)
Prelims
• Grant Flores def. Brandon Diaz-Campos by TKO (R5)
• Santiago Dominguez def. John Vincent Moralde by KO (R1)
• Daniel Garcia def. George Camilo Rodriguez Pardo by unanimous decision
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