After suffering the first loss of his professional career, Houston-based super middleweight Darius “DFG” Fulgham (14-1, 12 KOs) is aiming to reclaim momentum with a world-class performance against “Dynamite” David Stevens (15-2, 10 KOs) on November 8.
The bout takes place on a Golden Boy Promotions card headlined by the WBC Interim World Super Welterweight title fight between defending champion Virgil Ortiz Jr. (23-0, 21 KOs) and challenger Erickson Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs). All fights will be streamed live on DAZN from Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Fulgham, ranked No. 6 by the WBA, lost a razor-thin 12-round decision to Uzbekistan’s Bektemir “Bully” Melikuziev (16-1, 10 KOs) in May. Reflecting on the defeat, the 29-year-old emphasized the mental adjustments he’s made for this comeback.
“I needed to change my mental approach,” Fulgham said. “Coming off a loss, I really want to make a splash. I feel like I’m still at the top of the division, and this fight is a great opportunity to showcase my skills. I want to put on a great performance to be in contention for one of those four belts. I’m not far away – one or two more fights – but it all depends on how I perform.”
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Fulgham remains confident about his skill set and is determined to learn from his first professional defeat. “In my last fight, skill-wise, I am superior to Bek; I thought I won. Experience and ego got the best of me. I should have boxed right from the start. It’s all part of learning lessons. The fight is in the past, and I will grow and keep learning.”
Fort Worth’s proximity to Houston (4 hours) and Fulgham’s birthplace of El Paso (2½ hours) is expected to bring strong local support.
Stevens, 25, is a familiar foe in the gym, having sparred with Fulgham in Houston. Stevens previously lost a 12-round split decision to Melikuziev in November and has notable victories over Petr Khamukov (13-0), Marco Antonio Periban (26-6-1), and Sean Hemphill (14-0).
“I know a lot about David Stevens. He trains here, and we’ve sparred. This is a dangerous fight. He’s going to bring his stuff; I need to set the tone from the start,” Fulgham said.
A decorated amateur, Fulgham was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. as a heavyweight, won the 2018 National Golden Gloves, and claimed victory at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Academically, he earned a nursing degree from Prairie View A&M University during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fulgham is promoted by 3 Point Management, which also manages world-class talents like Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, John “Scrappy” Ramirez, Oleksandr “Nails” Gvozdyk, Kareem “Supreme” Hackett, and Simon “Saucy” Vollmer.
