Oscar Duarte will face former titleholder Regis Prograis next month.
Oscar Duarte vs Regis Prograis is official for Saturday, Feb. 15, headlining a DAZN-streamed show from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Duarte (28-2-1, 22 KO) has won two straight fights following a late 2023 loss to Ryan Garcia, beating Joseph Diaz and Batyr Akhmedov in a pair of bouts last year. He stopped Diaz in the ninth round in April, then won a solid decision over Akhmedov in November in Riyadh.
The 28-year-old Duarte should come in as a solid if not overwhelming favorite against the 35-year-old Prograis (29-3, 24 KO), whose career has hit some rough days. He’s lost two in a row to Devin Haney and Jack Catterall and was dropped in both of those fights, after an unimpressive performance in victory over Danielito Zorrilla in the summer of 2023.
But it’s a chance for the veteran Prograis to keep himself in the mix at 140 lbs, too.
“I’m just excited to be back in the ring so soon doing what I love,” Prograis said. “I understand that inactivity is the death of a fighter. At this point in my career, I want and need to be more active. 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 looking forward to next month.”
“I feel very happy and motivated with this great opportunity to face a former two-time world champion boxer,” Duarte said. “Facing Regis Prograis means a lot to me because he is an established, high-level fighter, and if I can win this fight, it would represent a very important step in my career. I know the fight will not be easy. Prograis is a complicated fighter; he hits hard, has not been knocked out, and also wants to return to victory after his last two defeats. I will have to put up a great fight and be very intelligent to defeat him.”
Golden Boy is offering free tickets for the event to local first responders in the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires, and for the general public, there is a pre-sale available through ticketmaster.com until 10 pm PT tonight, code: KNOCKOUT.
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