Former two-time super lightweight champion Regis Prograis is going through a rough patch lately. The 36-year-old southpaw is coming off two back-to-back losses against Devin Haney and Jack Catterall in the span of two years. He was supposed to bounce back with a fight against Mexico’s Oscar Duarte on February 15th.

The fight was scheduled to unfold at The Honda Center in Anaheim, California, live on DAZN. However, more bad news followed Prograis when reports came in, revealing that Prograis had suffered a shoulder injury in camp, which forced him to pull out of the fight. Miguel Madueno of Mexico was swapped in at the last moment to salvage the card.

Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time Duarte had to fight a last-minute replacement. After suffering defeat at the hands of Ryan Garcia in December 2023, Duarte defeated Joseph Diaz in April last year. He was then scheduled to lock horns with Kenneth Sims Jr., but Sims was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a knee injury.

This makes Prograis, Duarte’s second consecutive fight where his opponent had to pull out. And no one is more upset about it than Prograis himself, who was looking to prove he still has what it takes to be one of the elites. Two weeks before the fight, an excited Prograis was sharing pictures and videos from his training camp.

However, following the injury and his unfortunate withdrawal, Prograis expressed his disappointment about the turn of events, noting on X, “All that sacrifice and training for nothing 😒”. While it’s unfortunate for Prograis, the February 15th card itself has seen another addition.

Regis Prograis’ withdraws, Darius Fulghum returns as co-main event 

Regis Prograis might not be in the February 15 Golden Boy Promotions event, but rising super middleweight contender Darius Fulghum has been elevated to the co-main event. Originally slated to defend his WBA Intercontinental super middleweight title against Winfred Harris, Fulghum now finds himself in a more prominent position on the DAZN-broadcasted card.

The event, headlined by Oscar Duarte, still boasts a stacked undercard, including Ricardo Sandoval defending his WBC Silver flyweight title against Saleto Henderson. Welterweight contender Kenneth Sims Jr. will also take on Kendo Castaneda in a 10-round bout. Fulghum’s rapid rise continues, and with Prograis out, this is his chance to steal the spotlight. 

The unbeaten Houston native has been dominant so far, and a statement win on this platform could push him closer to world title contention.

That said, Regis Prograis will have to wait longer to get back into action. For now, Duarte will square off against last-minute replacement Miguel Madueno. Were you excited to see Prograis back in action?