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Golden Boy DAZN Thursday Night Fights (which don’t usually air on DAZN) continue next month with a solid card in Costa Mesa, California. WBA “gold” super lightweight champ Yves Ulysse Jr. headlines against heavy-handed veteran Ismael Barroso, while middleweight prospect D’Mitrius Ballard faces former Olympic bronze medalist Yamaguchi Falcao in the co-feature.
Viewers can watch on DAZN, RingTV.com, or Facebook.
Ulysse (18-1, 9 KO) turned heads back in 2017 by absolutely dominating A-side Cletus Seldin on the Billy Joe Saunders-David Lemieux undercard, scoring multiple knockdowns and making “The Hebrew Hammer” look pedestrian. After a pair of wins in 2018, he avenged his lone career loss this past April with a decision over fellow Canadian Steve Claggett.
“I having the best training camp of my career,” said Yves Ulysse Jr. “My sparring partners have pushed me, and I feel in the best shape I’ve ever been. I’m convinced that I will offer a great performance and intend to dominate my opponent with my speed and precision.”
Barroso (21-3-2, 20 KO) has lost his three biggest fights to date against Anthony Crolla, Isa Chaniev, and Batyr Akhmedov, but his power is absolutely legit. The 36-year-old hasn’t gone the distance in victory since 2011 and managed to drop Akhmedovin their fight last year, so he’s a live dog.
“If people think that I’m coming here as a stepping stone, then they’re totally wrong because I’m coming prepared mentally and physically to knock out Yves Ulysse Jr,” said Ismael Barroso. “I have demonstrated in the past that when people try to bring me as an opponent, I have come out victorious. This fight will not be the exception.”
Ballard (20-0, 13 KO) vs. Falcao (16-1, 7 KO) looks like a case of prospect vs. busted prospect. “Big Meech”, coming off of a No Decision in June, still has some shine, while Falcao lost his unbeaten record to Christopher Pearson in May.
Other notable names include Jason Quigley (16-1, 12 KO), fighting for the first time since a surprise stoppage loss to Tureano Johnson, and debuting heavyweight Mihai Nistor, who has an amateur win over Anthony Joshua under his belt.