Oscar Duarte and Kenneth Sims Jr. both weighed in successfully for their 12-round light welterweight fight this Saturday, August 2nd, at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The event will be shown live on DAZN beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.
(Credit: Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy)
No titles are at stake, but the winner will be moved up to the rankings in the 140-lb division. Duarte (29-3-1, 23 KOs) comes into the fight having won his last three fights since being knocked out by Ryan Garcia in 2023. Sims, 31, has won his last nine fights after losing to Samuel Teah in 2018.
Weigh-in results
- Oscar Duarte 139.8 vs. Kenneth Sims Jr. 139.8
- Regis Prograis 142 vs. Joseph ‘Jo Jo’ Diaz Jr. 142.2
Duarte’s Pressure Boxing Style
“If the fight is fought on the inside, Duarte is going to cruise to victory. Sims has got to use his footwork, has got to use his skills. He’s got to use his boxing ability. He has that ability,” said Tim Bradley on his channel. “He can switch from southpaw to orthodox.”
The fight will be conducted on the inside, whether Sims wants it there or not. He’ll stay to keep the contest on the outside, but he can’t do anything to stop Duarte from forcing him to brawl with others other than to hold. That won’t work because Duarte won’t allow him to.
“I noticed that Sims has changed his style to a boxer-puncher, even though he’s not a big puncher,” said Bradley. “A lot of times, you’ve got to be able to mix things up. In order to stop pressure sometimes, you’ve got to be able to fight pressure with pressure.”
The opposition that Kenneth has fought during his career has been nothing special. When you look at his resume, he’s fought mostly second-tier opponents. In the last couple of years, he’s progressed to fringe-level contenders, but has stayed away from top 10 fighters.
Sims is getting older, and the first thing that goes is the legs. He’s got to mix it up more with his opponents, now, because his energy level and legs aren’t what they once were.
Kenneth Sims Jr. Fight Strategy
“Once you get a guy like Duarte running downhill and getting confident, it’s really hard to slow him down,” said Bradley. “Duarte starts hitting you, and for some reason, you’re legs stop working. The punches are so heavy that you’ve got to sit and plant and brace yourself for the impact of those shots. Sims is going to have to outbox Duarte.”
It’s going to be brutally hard for Sims, 31, to outbox a young fighter like Duarte, who will be coming forward all night, attacking him with powerful shots. Sims can’t treat the fight like it’s an amateur contest because he’s young enough to run around the ring for 12 rounds anymore.
He’s an 11-year professional and not capable of running for an entire fight. Moreover, the body shots that Duarte will be hitting Sims with will be too hard for him to take while moving. To properly brace for those kinds of fighters, you have to stop moving.
Last Updated on 08/01/2025
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