Darius Fulghum had been handpicked by Eddie Hearn and Co. as a hometown showcase fight for Diego Pacheco, but the B-side boxer ripped up the script.A much-improved Fulghum overcame sizeable odds of 25/4 to secure a unanimous decision at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, on Saturday night.A relentless Darius Fulghum overwhelmed Eddie Hearn’s long-time signing Diego PachecoGettyTwo judges scored the fight 115-112 in Fulghum’s favour.The third edged Fulghum by a tighter 114-113 margin.In truth, the scorecards were closer than the fight itself, as Fulghum applied suffocating pressure from bell to bell to overwhelm the betting favourite. It marks Pacheco‘s first defeat in 27 fights (26-1) and breathes new life into Fulghum’s turbulent 16-1-1 career.The Golden Boy fighter couldn’t afford another setback after a disastrous 2025 that saw him lose to Bektemir Melikuziev and draw with David Stevens.A life-changing win“I don’t think you understand what I had to go through in this fight,” Fulghum said in the immediate aftermath of his career-best win. “I got this uniform on, King of Hearts. Man, I always say I got the most heart in boxing. I want to win so bad it’s crazy. “I’m just thankful they gave me the opportunity to come in and do my thing.“I really had to dig deep. The adversity of the crowd – it’s a great crowd, man. “You all really showed out for Diego. I felt all the animosity, right from the ring walk. Pacheco had been on the cusp of a world title shot before the setbackGetty“People were like, ‘Oh, man, you suck! You’re gonna get knocked out!’ “And I remember thinking, I was like, ‘I’m going to do my thing tonight. They don’t know what they are seeing.’ I’m going to wake them up.”What’s next for Diego Pacheco and Darius Fulghum?Before the fight, Pacheco and Hearn had been talking up fights with the biggest names in the super middleweight division.However, the highly-touted 25-year-old will now have to put those plans on hold.Luckily for Pacheco, he has a rematch clause inserted into his contract, so he will be given the chance to right the wrong.But he will have to make some serious adjustments if he hopes to exact his revenge.Fulghum walked through Pacheco’s best shots and showed him no respect as he outworked and outmuscled his taller opponent on the inside.While Pacheco was able to find a home for a thudding right hand on occasion, it couldn’t keep Fulghum off his chest.Watch Boxing on DAZN*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenueSign up to DAZN to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate from just £24.99/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.Alternatively, DAZN Standard is just £15.99/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.Click here to sign up.