Super Middleweight Darius Fulghum: 'I Am Going To Hit 2026 Hard'

Darius Fulghum changed the scenery and added a new face to his corner, while keeping the old ones.

Fulghum will return on Friday at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.

Fulghum, (14-1-1, 12 KOs), spent his training camp away from his home in Houston, trading it for the sunny skies of Los Angeles. Fulghum, who Darnell Pierce still trains, has worked at Brickhouse Boxing for this camp and will have Julian Chua added to his corner on fight night. The move comes after a loss to Bektemir Melikuziev in a WBA No. 1 contender bout, followed by a draw in November against David Stevens. The 31-year-old Fulghum decided to make a change and take the show on the road.

“A lot of stuff outside the ring will show itself inside if you let it,” Fulghum told FightsATW. “That is the main reason I came out to L.A.”

During this training camp, he watched Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, also trained by Chua, prepare for a pay-per-view-level fight against David Benavidez.

“I am learning from a lot of different minds,” Fulghum said. “I get to the gym early, just to watch everybody spar, to see what everybody is doing.”

Fulghum knows that after a 2025 in which he didn’t record a win, the stakes are high, but they are always high in the fight game.

“Any time I step in the ring, there are huge consequences,” Fulghum said. “It isn’t just career-wise; every time you step in the ring, your health is on the line. So, I have to look at every opponent the same way.”

Fulghum is currently ranked No.5 by the WBA. His team hopes a win here will vault him higher in the rankings. Even after a winless year, Fulghum hopes to make the leap to a title contender after a year of reflection, contemplation, and stagnation.

“I am going to hit 2026 hard,” Fulghum said. “I am still in a good spot.”