Bektemir Melikuziev needed a 12th round knockdown to squeak out a 12-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Darius Fulghum in a super middleweight elimination bout at The Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas.

In round two, Melikuziev began to bleed from his nose.

In round seven, Melikuziev was docked a point for holding. In round eight, Melikuziev’s left eye started to swell. Melikuziev rocked and hurt Fulghum several times in te later rounds. In round 10, Mellikuziev landed thudding body shots. Fulghum made a rally that was highlighted by a big straight right hand in round 11. In round 12, Melikuziev landed a body that was followed by a left hand that put Fulghum on the canvas.

The punch stat numbers showed how close the fight was as Fulghum landed 170 of 442 punches. Melikuziev was 169of 407.

That two point 12th round proved to be the difference as Melikuziev,166.8 lbs of Shoimbek, UZB won by scores of 114-112 on all cards and is now 16-1. Fulghum, 167.8 lbs of Houston is 14-1.

“We faced a lot of adversity during this camp, so this victory means a lot more—especially with my baby on the way,” said Melikuziev. “I want to thank Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, and the Diaz Training Camp for the incredible support. I will face anyone and everyone. I’m not scared to face the likes of Caleb Plant or any of the top guys at super middleweight.

Eric Priest won a 10-round unanimous decision over Luis Arias in a middleweight fight.

In round two, Arias was deducted a point for hitting on the break.

Priest landed 184 of 471 punches. Arias was 133 of 494.

Priest, 159.8 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 99-90 twice and 96-93 and is now 16-0. Arias, 159.6 lbs of Milwaukee is 22-5-1.

Joshua Edwards stopped Alexander Rhodes in the opening round of their six-round heavyweight bout.

In round one, Edwards hurt Rhodes with two blistering right hands. Edwards followed that up with a flurry of rights that sent Rhodes down and the fight was stopped at 2:08.

Edwards, 222.4 lbs of Houston is 2-0 with two knockouts. Rhodes, 275.8 lbs of W.Columbia, SC is 2-2.

Federico Pacheco Jr. won a six-round unanimous decision over Calvin Barnett in a heavyweight bout

In round four, Barnett was deducted a point for holding.

Pacheco, 259.4 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 58-55 on all cards and is now 7-0. Barnett, 270.4 lbs of Tulsa, OK is 5-3.

Cayden Griffiths scored a one-punch knockout of Edgar Gutierrez in round four of their six-round super welterweight bout.

In round four,, Griffiths connected with a torking left hook to the chin that sent Gutierrez on the deck. Gutierrez got to his knee but did not want to beat the 10-count at 1:15.

Griffiths, 149 lbs of Indio, CA is now 5-0 with five knockouts. Gutierrez, 146.6 lbs of Yuma, AZ is 3-3.

Manny Flores stopped Jorge Leyva in round four of their 10-round bantamweight fight at the Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, California.

In round three, Flores landed a body shot that was followed by a chopping left that put Leyva on the canvas. In round four, Flores landed a straight left to the body that put Leyva down and the fight was stopped at 55 seconds.

Flores, 118 lbs of Coachella, CA is 20-1 with 16 knockouts. Leyva, 117.2 lbs of La Paz, MEX is 18-4.

Grant Flores stopped LaQuan Evans in round two of their six-round junior middleweight bout.

In round two, Flores battered Evans on the ropes and landed two booming rights in the process the violently snapped Evans head back and the fight was stopped at 1:18.

Flores, 154 lbs of Coachella, CA is 9-0 with seven knockouts. Evans, 154 lbs of Philadelphia is 5-4.

Ruslan Abdullaev stopped veteran Jose Alvarado in round two of their four-round welterweight bout.

In round, Abdullev landed a crushing left to the body that put Alvarado down and the fight was over at 2:33.

Abdullaev, 144.9 lbs of Uzbekistan is 1-0 with one knockout. Alvarado, 143.4 lbs of Puebla, MEX was stopped for the first time and his record is 3-20-1.

Federico Pacheco stopped Arnulfo Cazares in the sixth and final round of their heavyweight bout.

Pacheco dominated the much smaller Cazares and in round six, Pacheco landed a vicious flurry and the bout was stopped at 1:46.

Pacheco, 271 lbs of Los Angeles is 8-0 with six knockouts. Cazares, 190.8 lbs of Los Angeles is 2-5.

Johnny Canas remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Jesus Perez in a lightweight bout.

Canas landed 120 of 412 punches. Perez was 77 of 331.

Canas, 134.1 lbs of Santa Ana, CA won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 7-0. Perez, 134.4. lbs of Sinaloa, MEX is 14-20-1.

LOS ANGELES (January 31, 2025) — Golden Boy has firmly planted its stake in the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions with the momentous signings of four future world champions. These signings mark the beginning of a new era in their respective divisions and include the re-signing of blue-chip cruiserweight prospect Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth (14-1, 10 KOs), top-rated cruiserweight Robin “Robz” Safar (17-0, 12 KOs), undefeated heavyweight prospect Federico Pacheco Jr. (7-0, 5 KOs), and 2023 Pan American Games gold medalist and 2024 Olympian Joshua “Good” Edwards.

“The heavyweight division hasn’t been this hot in decades,” said Golden Boy Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Every single one of these prospects has the potential to become a world champion in the heavier divisions. Nobody builds champions better than Golden Boy, and I’m extremely excited to get into the mix of the heavyweight division.”

“After my dominant victory over Sergey Kovalev, every top promotional company came knocking with offers. I took my time, weighed my options carefully, and it became clear—Golden Boy Promotions was the obvious choice,” said Safar. “Having a multi division champion and Hall of Famer like Oscar De La Hoya leading my career, I can confidently say I have the best promotional team in boxing. I worked my way into a top-15 position on my own, so just imagine what we’ll accomplish together. With their experience, vision, and game plan, I don’t see how I can fail. They have big plans for me in 2025 and beyond, and together, we’re going to make history.”

“I have been boxing all of my life, and to be able to get to this point is a blessing,” said Edwards. “I want to thank Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy for believing in me and my skills. I am proud to represent Southside Houston in my journey to become a heavyweight world champion one day.”

“Signing with Golden Boy Promotions is a dream come true,” said Pacheco. “Working with Oscar De La Hoya and his team is an incredible opportunity, and I know I’m in the right place to grow as a fighter. With their guidance, I’m confident I can reach my full potential and one day become the heavyweight champion of the world.”

“I’m proud to be able to extend my contract with Golden Boy and continue my dream of being one of the best in my division,” said Kalkreuth. “With the help of Oscar and Golden Boy mixed with my determination, nothing will get in the way of me becoming a world champion.”

Born to a Swedish mother and a Kurdish father, Robin “Robz” Safar (17-0, 12 KOs) grew up in the Stockholm suburb of Visättra, where he faced numerous challenges in an environment where wrong turns were more common than success stories. At age 19, he turned to boxing as a means to rise above the adversity surrounding him. Under the watchful eye of trainer Ibn Cason, the younger brother of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, Safar has worked his way to an impressive undefeated record of 17-0. He announced himself on the scene in the summer of 2024 after crushing former light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev. His dominant performance solidified him as a rising force in the cruiserweight division. With a top-15 ranking in two of the four sanctioning bodies, Safar is now on the doorstep of a world title. His journey from the streets of Visättra to the global boxing stage is a testament to his resilience and dedication to the sport.

Representing Southside Houston, No. 1 USA Boxing-ranked heavyweight Joshua “Good” Edwards is a 24-year-old powerhouse ready to prove he has the charisma and talent to be a world champion. A 2023 Pan American Games gold medalist, Edwards defeated Cuban champion Abner Teixeira in the finals, becoming only the second American to win gold in the super heavyweight division at the Pan American Games. This victory qualified him to represent the United States at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. He is also a 2021 USA Boxing national champion in the super heavyweight division. Edwards trains with Ronnie Shields and Melvin Malone in Houston.

The undefeated Federico Pacheco Jr. (7-0, 5 KOs) is a 21-year-old rising star in the heavyweight division from Los Angeles. Trained by Coach Omar Villanueva, Pacheco has quickly made a name for himself in the boxing world. Known for his powerful punches and impressive ring presence, he is a force to be reckoned with. Pacheco is also the younger brother of renowned boxer Diego Pacheco, and like his sibling, he is determined to make his mark on the sport. With a promising future ahead, Pacheco continues to hone his skills, aiming for greatness as he climbs the ranks in the heavyweight division. Despite a limited amateur background, he has proven himself by sparring with heavyweight champions and contenders as a teenager, including Zhilei Zhang, Frank Sanchez, and Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Re-signing with Golden Boy, blue-chip cruiserweight Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth (14-1, 10 KOs), of Duncanville, Texas, has built a strong prospect résumé since signing with Golden Boy in 2019. Kalkreuth started boxing at age 9 under the guidance of his father and built an amateur background of more than 100 fights. A standout amateur, he is a two-time USA Boxing national champion in the youth division. Since turning professional, his record includes a majority of knockout victories against tough contenders.

Diego Pacheco stopped Manuel Gallegos in round four of their 10-round super middleweight bout in Monterrey, Mexico.

Pacheco was impressive as he hurt Gallegos in round four with a hard combination and then he dropped Gallegos with a left hook to the body. Pacheco then landed about eight hard shots to the head that forced a referee stoppage at 2:45.

Pacheco, 168 lbs of Los Angeles is 19-0 with 16 knockouts. Gallegos, 168 lbs of Los Mochis, MEX is 19-2-1.

Eduardo Hernandez stopped late-replacement Hector Garcia in round three of their 10-round lightweight bout.

In round two, Hernandez rocked Garcia and had him in trouble throughout the latter part if the round. Garcia was cut under his right eye. In round three, Hernandez was all over Garcia as he landed a big left hook that was followed by a big right that was followed by a 20 punch combination that put Garcia down and the fight was stopped at 25 seconds.

Hernandez, 137 lbs of Mexico City is now 34-1 with 31 knockouts. Garcia, 137 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 20-8-4.

Jonathan Rodriguez and Israel Gonzalez battled to a 10-round split draw in a bantamweight bout.

Each fighter won a scorecard by a 96-94 score and a third card was even at 95-95.

Rodriguez, 115 lbs of San Luis Patosi, MEX is now 24-2-1. Gonzalez, 115 lbs of Los Cabos, MEX is 29-5-2.

Neider Valdez remained undefeated with a third round stoppage over Isaias Ortiz in a flyweight contest.

In round three, Valdez landed a hard left to the body that put Ortiz to the canvas. Ortiz could not beat the count at 1:50.

Valdez, 108 lbs of Monterrey, MEX is 9-0-2 with eight knockouts. Ortiz, 109 lbs of Mexico City is 5-4.

Federico Pacheco stopped Oscar Heredia after round two of their four-round heavyweight victory.

In round two, Pacheco dropped Heredia with a double left hook to the body. Heredia was in a lot of discomfort after the round and did not answer the bell.

Pacheco, 254 lbs of Los Angeles is 4-0 with three knockouts. Heredia, 252 lbs of Monterrey, MEX is 2-3.