Oscar Duarte and Kenneth Sims Jr. previewed their bout and went face-to-face at the final press conference. They square off in a lightweight matchup at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago on August 2.
Mexico’s Duarte (29-2-1, 23 KOs) is riding a three-fight winning streak since his defeat to Ryan Garcia in late 2023. Chicago native Sims Jr. (22-2-1, 8 KOs) has won nine fights in a row. Duarte promised a “great fight,” while Sims Jr. vowed to come out on top.
“I am so happy and excited to be here in Chicago,” Duarte said. “I want to thank my team for the excellent training camp. Thank you to Oscar and the Golden Boy team for all their support.”
“This is going to be a great fight. We are going to give a great show. The people of Chicago are in for a treat, and I know I will have the Latino community rooting for me!”
Sims Jr. said, “This was one of my top three goals: to be the best, make money to take care of my family, and fight at home, bringing a big fight to Chicago. It’s a dream come true. I am ready to put on a show for my city.”
“I didn’t like the trolling that his team did last year. It takes a lot to get to me. He was bothering me, so I was bothering him. We have to fight anyways.”
“We’re both ranked in the top five in the world. The best vs. the best. But this is my city, so I’m going to whoop his a**.”
In the co-feature, Regis Prograis (29-3, 24 KOs) of New Orleans, LA, takes on Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. (34-7-1, 15 KOs) of South El Monte, CA. This contest features two former champions going head-to-head at super lightweight.
On the Duarte vs Sims Jr. undercard, Tristan Kalkreuth (15-1, 10 KOs) of Carrollton, TX, takes on Houston’s Devonte Williams (13-2, 6 KOs) at cruiserweight. Williams replaces the previously announced Kareem Hackett (12-1, 6 KOs) of Canada.
Joshua Edwards (3-0, 3 KOs) of Houston, TX, meets Cayman Audie (4-1, 2 KOs) of Mora, MN, at heavyweight. Yair Benjamin Gallardo-Lozano (9-0, 8 KOs) of Mexico faces Quinton Rankin (21-9-2, 16 KOs) of Charlotte, NC, at light heavyweight.