Diego Pacheco vs Darius Fulghum

This should be a good tussle between two ambitious fighters, and I expect Fulghum to make Pacheco work. Diego’s long jab gives him the first say at distance, but height only helps if you keep your feet underneath you. His knockdown against Sadjo showed he can still be caught.

Fulghum’s best route is to get past that jab, work the body and bring the uppercut through when he gets into close range. He showed both punches against Melikuziev. The concern is his approach: he was rocked when Melikuziev cut off the ring, and Diego has the reach to punish him before he gets set.

I fancy Pacheco’s patience to decide it. He needs to jab, make Fulghum reset and put the right hand behind it without loading up. Fulghum has enough grit and ability to stay competitive, but I expect Diego to land the cleaner shots across the rounds. 

Pacheco by unanimous decision.