Welterweight contender Oscar Duarte takes on former two-time 140lb champion Regis Prograis next month in a 12-round main event on February 15th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The event will be shown live on DAZN.
stepping stone
Golden Boy Promotions has selected Prograis as the opponent to be used as a springboard for the career of #9 WBA Duarte (28-2-1, 22 KO), who has looked good since Ryan Garcia knocked him out in the eighth round on December 2, 2023.
If Duarte wins this fight, he will receive a higher WBA ranking as he is still far from being able to fight for a world title.
The Fall of Regis
This is a must-win fight for the 35-year-old Prograis (29-3, 24 KOs), as he has lost two straight and hasn’t won since 2023. Regis is coming off a one-sided 12-rounder. unanimous decision defeat against Jack Catterall October 26 in Manchester, England.
Former WBA and WBC light heavyweight champion Prograis made the overmatched fighter look better than he was in that fight. Before that, Regis lost to Devin Haney by one-sided unanimous decision in 12 rounds on December 9, 2023.
Prograis needs to recapture his best form from 2015 to 2022. In his losses to Haney and Catterall, Prograis didn’t apply the pressure he did earlier in his career, and looked like he was afraid of getting hit.
Surprisingly, the lightweight Catterall dropped Prograis twice in the ninth round, and looked timid for the rest of the 12-round fight.
Return or retirement?
If Regis loses to Duarte, he needs to consider retiring because that would make it clear that he has no future. The only way to save things would be for Prograis to drop to 135 to try and reinvent himself. It would be pointless for him to go up to 147 as he has already shown chin issues at 140.
Duarte is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision against Botirzhon Akhmedov on November 16. It was a good fight that included a lot of two-way action. Akhmedov hurt Duarte at one point in the fight and landed a lot of heavy punches. Duarte’s power and strong chin allowed him to win the fight. However, it was not an easy fight for him.
“I understand that inactivity is the death of a fighter. At this point in my career, I want and need to be more active,” said Prograis. “I think this fight has fireworks written all over it. My opponent is a strong, tough and hungry fighter, and it should be a great night in California. I’m excited for this fight and I’m looking forward to next month.”
