Robert Duran Jr. Is Carving Out His Own Legacy With BYB Extreme Fighting Series

It’s not easy being the son of a legend, and although it has followed him throughout his career in boxing, Robert Duran Jr. is now carving out his own legacy in the rising sport of bare-knuckle fighting. After five years as a professional boxer with a record of 12-4 (9 KOs), Duran has moved on from the sport he once loved and is set to fight on December 6 in the event titled Brawl in the Pines IV, promoted by BYB Extreme Fighting Series.

From Boxing To Bare Knuckle

Duran, 36, from Miami, FL, has a record of 1-1 in bare-knuckle fighting. This new career has kept him busy this year after the last straw in boxing during his fight against Jack McGann in October 2023. That night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Duran was stopped in the second round, but he felt he was set up to fail from the start. “There was a lot of shady things going on building up to that fight,” said a frustrated Duran. “That was a fight that was in my hands that I could have easily won. I had a chance, and it was taken away from me. After that happened and I saw boxing wasn’t what it used to be, I went and looked in a different direction and found my way to the BYB (Extreme Fighting Series).”

Duran didn’t waste any time finding a new promotional home in BYB Extreme, signing a deal with them in February. Not wanting to sit on the shelf, Duran was booked for a fight in May against Javon Wright. His debut resulted in a fifth-round TKO, and Duran has not returned to boxing since. When asked about his first bare-knuckle fight as a pro, Duran smiled, indicating it was something he was quite familiar with. “If you grow up street fighting in the streets, it’s no different,” said Duran. “The only difference is that in bare-knuckle, there isn’t no slamming or elbows, just hands. In the streets, you have to watch for everything else, like your mom throwing pots at you (laughs), your grandfather trying to roll you over, etc. I felt right back at home. It was everything I expected.”

Reconnecting With His Father

Although Duran had to grow up under the immense shadow of his father, Roberto Duran, he didn’t have the relationship he desired with the Panamanian legend. For years, they weren’t on speaking terms. That changed in the last few years, filling a void in Duran’s life. Although they don’t talk daily, having some form of a relationship with his father has made Duran feel good about where they stand as father and son.

“Me and my father were very distant. I didn’t grow up with him, but thanks to my older brother Robin, he plugged us back in. That really took a toll on me mentally. It’s a good thing. I don’t hold no grudges against my pops because I’m a grown man, and I know how it is. Since me and my pops rekindled, it was like a breath of fresh air. It may not have been an everyday thing with my pops, but we started something, so thank God for that.”

Preparing for December 6 Fight Against Richie Palomino

On Friday night, Duran steps into his third bare-knuckle fight this year. His opponent, Richie Palomino, is an MMA fighter making his bare-knuckle debut. Preparing for a bare-knuckle fight isn’t much different than boxing, except for the increased focus on hand training. With no gloves, strength and technique are crucial to winning in the world of bare-knuckle fighting.

“To be honest with you, there isn’t that much of a difference,” said Duran. “The only thing you do differently in training for bare-knuckle is conditioning your hands. You can break your hand in bare-knuckle if you throw an incorrect punch, and that can be it. You have to condition your hands to make them harder and stronger, along with practicing punch placement.”

Duran has had plenty of practice fighting bare-knuckle in the streets, but now it will be up to him to see if he can make it in the pro circuit against other fighters from the boxing and MMA world. His fight on BYB Extreme Fighting Series will stream live on the Fight Network on Friday night, and Duran is ready to perform and show the world he is prepared to make a run at bare-knuckle. So what should we all expect to see when Duran faces Palomino? “The Gorilla is going to be in the building. I don’t come to entertain. I always come to fight. That’s what I do. It’s going to be explosive.”

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is the founder of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms to include online, network TV and promotional companies. He is an American Public University alumnus and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, contributed to FanSidedMMA and ProBoxTV.

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