2021 Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan (Cincinnati, Ohio) will step into the ring for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics this Saturday, and he will do so with a heavy heart following the passing of his father, Derek Ragan, in December.
Ragan will face Diuhl Olguin in a six round featherweight contest on the undercard of fellow Olympian Mikaela Mayer’s bout with Jennifer Han on Saturday at The Hangar at the Orange County Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California.
It has been a year since his last professional bout as Ragan stepped away from the professional ranks to to compete in the 2021 Olympic Games where he won silver, becoming the first American featherweight to claim an Olympic medal since Rocky Juarez in 2000.
A product of the heralded Cincinnati amateur boxing scene, Ragan has been in a boxing gym since he was a small child and has father has always been by his side. The two were extremely close and Derek Ragan served as his son’s boxing coach once he entered the open division in the amateur ranks.
Although the elder Ragan was incarcerated in 2019, Duke and his father spoke daily and he visited his father weekly when he was home in Cincinnati. Derek Ragan also remained in constant contact with fellow coach Kay Koroma to ensure his son stayed on track.
His Olympic journey in Tokyo was no exception. After each of Ragan’s Olympic bouts, he eagerly awaited his father’s calls the following morning. Once he was able to watch his son’s matches, Derek would call and share his feedback and advice for the next bout. When Ragan returned home with his silver medal, he went to visit his father and show him the result of all of their years of hard work.
Just a few short months after that special moment, Derek Ragan passed away from COVID-19. Saturday’s fight will be the first time Ragan has fought since losing his father and he remains on his mind often. “I’m taking it one day at a time. I have good days and bad days,” Ragan said.
Fortunately, Ragan has a strong support system around him, and both his family and his boxing brotherhood check on him often. Ragan prepared for Saturday’s fight in Las Vegas with Coach Kay, fellow 2021 Olympian Troy Isley, Cristian Williams and Kenneth Sims and says having them nearby as he prepares for his fight back has definitely helped his preparation. “Sometimes I can lose focus because I’m going through a lot, and they give me that extra push that I need to stay focused,” he said.
Ragan and Koroma arrived in Orange County in Tuesday evening and will reunite with his Olympic teammate Virginia Fuchs who makes her professional debut on Saturday. Undercard action including Ragan and Fuchs’ bouts will stream live on ESPN+.
For more on Ragan, click here.
