LAS VEGAS — Darius Fulghum (14-0, 12 KOs) and Bektemir Melikuziev (15-1, 10 KOs) will meet in a high-stakes WBA super middleweight title eliminator Friday at the Virgin Hotels. The matchup headlines a Golden Boy show as the promoter zeroes in on which contender it can push to land a fight one day against undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez.

Middleweight contender Eric Priest mixed it up in the toughest test of his ascending career, and the concoction he served was a dominant decision win against cagey and durable veteran Luis Arias.

After largely relying on a piston-like jab in his last fight against Tyler Howard, Priest (16-0, 8 KOs) showed off his entire toolbox against Arias that again was led by a sharp jab, relentless aggression, and crisp combinations to push back and break down Arias (22-5-1, 11 KOs).

Judges scored the 10-round contest 99-90, 99-90, and 96-93 in favor of Priest.

Arias was docked a point in the second round for hitting on the break, but the misstep didn’t end up costing him as he faded with each passing round.

The 26-year-old Priest outlanded Arias 184 to 133 in his statement win, showing off a solid chin along the way by eating some big right hands.

Although Arias, 34, came into the fight with a 4-4-1 record over his last nine fights dating back to 2017, the Las Vegas resident still presented danger given his world level experience featuring wins against the likes of former unified 154-pound champion Jarrett Hurd, a split draw with Gabriel Rosado, as well as defeats by Daniel Jacobs and Erickson Lubin.

It's two up, two down for Joshua Edwards.

The heavyweight prospect and 2024 United States Olympian Edwards (2-0, 2 KOs) knocked out Alexander Rhodes (2-2, 1 KOs) in the first round by trapping him in the corner and clocking him with a huge right hand.

Rhodes collapsed to the canvas and was unable to get up. The fight ended at the 2:08 mark.

Rhodes, a 25-year-old Houston native, made his pro debut in April and scored a second-round stoppage win against Larry Gonzales.

It wasn’t pretty, but Federico Pacheco Jr. got the job done by scoring a six-round unanimous decision win against Calvin Barnett.

Pacheco (9-0, 6 KOs) staved off the rugged southpaw Barnett (5-3, 2 KOs), but not with too much separation, winning the fight by scores of 58-55 across the cards.

Barnett started strong but faded late as Pacheco piled on the pressure.

Barnett, a 33-year-old from Tulsa, arguably won the first two rounds but started to show signs of fatigue in the fifth as Pacheco connected with hard right hands. Barnett was docked a point in the fourth round by referee Raul Caiz Jr. for yanking Pacheco’s arm.

An awkward sequence ensued a round earlier when Barnett complained of being hit in the back of his head. He winced, retreated to a corner, then spit out his mouthpiece, which got trapped underneath the broadcast table. After a long break in the action, the mouthpiece was retrieved, and the fight continued.

The 21-year-old Pacheco is the younger brother of undefeated super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco and signed a promotional pact with Golden Boy in January.

Barnett suffered his third consecutive defeat.

19-year-old welterweight prospect Cayden Griffiths (5-0, 5 KOs) kept his perfect record intact by crushing Edgar Gutierrez with a hard left hook in the fourth round to score yet another knockout win.

Referee Allen Huggins reached a count of 10 at the 1:15 mark when Gutierrez (3-3, 2 KOs) couldn’t gather himself to get up. Before the fight-ending blow, the Joel Diaz-trained Griffiths, who turned pro last June, was controlling the fight with one-way action.

Junior middleweight prospect Grant Flores faced an opponent with a perfect record and responded by delivering a pristine performance.

Flores (10-0, 8 KOs) busted the face of Brandon Diaz-Campos (6-1, 6 KOs) in the second round and pressed on the gas thereafter, delivering a brutal beatdown with one-way action en route to a fifth-round stoppage win. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. halted the action at the 2:58 mark as Flores was assaulting Diaz-Campos.

Santiago Dominguez (28-1, 21 KOs) knocked out John Moralde (27-6, 16 KOs) with a body shot in the first round of a fight scheduled for ten.

Dominguez, a 33-year-old welterweight contender from Mexico, fought for the first time since suffering a unanimous decision to Alexis Rocha in July.

Daniel Garcia and Camilo Rodriguez kicked off the night of action on the untelevised portion of the card with a competitive eight-round junior welterweight clash featuring plenty of leather from both fighters.

"Junebug" Garcia (12-0, 9 KOs) was tested but passed his exam with flying colors by outlasting the rugged Colombian contender Rodriguez (10-4, 8 KOs) by unanimous decision via scores of 80-72, 80-72, 80-72.

The one-sided scorecards didn't indicate the tremendous work Rodriguez gave Garcia, who left the ring with some bruising around his face.

Middleweight: Eric Priest UD10 (99-90 x 2, 96-93) Luis Arias

Heavyweight: Joshua Edwards KO1 (2:08) Alexander Rhodes

Heavyweight: Federico Pacheco Jr. UD6 (58-55 x 3) Calvin Barnett

Welterweight: Cayden Griffiths KO4 (1:15) Edgar Gutierrez

Junior middleweight: Grant Flores TKO5 (2:58) Brandon-Diaz Campos

Welterweight: Santiago Dominguez KO1 John Moralde

Junior welterweight: Daniel Garcia UD8 (80-72 x 3) Camilo Rodriguez