The WBA lists tonight’s Diego Pacheco vs. Darius Fulghum fight in Carson, California, as a final eliminator at super middleweight. Winning it sounds like an immediate ticket to a championship bout, yet Jaime Munguía still owes Bektemir Melikuziev a mandatory defense, leaving the DAZN main event winner staring at a wait that could stretch into 2028.

In its November 12 preview, the WBA initially called the bout a title eliminator. Its official fight schedule now lists the contest as a final eliminator without attaching any timeline for when the winner actually gets his shot at the belt.

Melikuziev Gets the First Shot

Melikuziev earned his spot by beating Fulghum in an eliminator back in May 2025 and has been sitting on the shelf waiting for his turn ever since. After ordering Munguía to face him in September, the WBA turned around and allowed the champion to take a detour against Nikita Zon on October 31 in Riyadh after both sides struck an exception deal. Melikuziev kept his mandatory position, meaning tonight’s winner is only fighting to stand behind someone who has already waited a year and a half.

“He wins this fight, no matter how he wins. He wins this fight, keeps that unblemished record, he’s going to fight for a title next,” said Sergio Mora on DAZN, referring to Pacheco. Chris Mannix offered a far more realistic view, calling a 2027 title shot a possibility for either fighter.

Mora’s prediction ignores the traffic jam the WBA created at 168 pounds. A 2027 shot only works if Munguía and Melikuziev get in the ring early next year and the sanctioning body refuses to grant any more favors. If their fight drags into the second half of 2027, the Carson winner gets pushed straight into 2028. Even if Munguía beats Melikuziev, there is no guarantee the WBA enforces its own deadline promptly. Having already let Munguía squeeze in the Zon defense while Melikuziev waited, the WBA has shown it will bend its schedule whenever a champion wants an extra bout.

Eddie Hearn wants Pacheco to climb onto the turnbuckle after a win and call out Canelo Álvarez and Munguía. Pursuing another belt is likely the only way Mora’s prediction actually comes true for Pacheco, because waiting on the WBA queue could waste a full year of his prime. For Fulghum, the WBA route is even more backward. He could win a final eliminator tonight only to wait nearly two years for a rematch against the same fighter who already beat him in the last one.