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Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan to fight on Saturday

The 2021 Olympic silver medalist will step back into the ring this Saturday in Las Vegas.

Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan to fight on Saturday

The 2021 Olympic silver medalist will step back into the ring this Saturday in Las Vegas.

HEARTBREAK AND ANGER INTOMOTIVAT DUKE RAGAN HAS ALREADYRO PVED HE CAN BEAT SOMEF O THE BEST. THE DECORATED BOXER A OLYMPIAN BROUGHT A SILVER MEDAL HOME TO CINCINNATI LAST MMSU. NOW THE 24-YEAR-OLD HAS SOMETHING NEW TO PROVE, THAT HE CAN TRAIN AND WIN WITHOUT THE LIVING REASON HE EVER STEPPED INSIDE A RING. DUKE: EVERY DAYY M DAD WLDOU CALL SO JUST GOT TO TALK IT ONE DAY AT A TE.IM JATARA: DUKE'S DAD DERRICK RAGAN DIED AFTER CONTRACTING COVID AND WAS INCARCERATED SERVING ON DGRU CHARGES AND MOVED TO THE HOSPITAL WITHOUT HIS FAMILY BEING CALLED. DUKE AND HIS SIBLINGS DIDN'T GET TO SAY GOODBYE NOT EVEN ON FACE-TIME. HE'S TRYING TO FIGHT THROUGH BRIEF WITHOUT HIS LIFELONG COACH. HE'S BNEE WEANGRI BOXING GLOVES SINCE HE WAS IN DIAPERS. DO YOU BELIEVING REMEMBERS -- DUKE REMEMBERS HISAD D TAKING OVER HIS BOXING CAREER WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 15. HE AND HIS FATHER SHARED THAT OLYMPIC DREAM, EVEN AFTER DERRKIC RAGAN'S ARREST HE COACHED HIS SON OVER THE PHO.NE DUKE: I TELL MY OTHER COACH WHAT MY DAD IS SAYING AND WE BREAK IT DOWN TO MORE WHAT I UNDERSTAND. THAT'S WHAT I MISS MORE, HELPING ME, GUINGDI ME, STUFF LIKE TT.HA JATARA: DUKE VISITED HIS DAD EVERY SUNDAY AND IN BETWEEN CALLS TO EACH OTHER, DERRICK WOULD CALL HIS SON C'SOACHES TO CHECK IN. WHEN DUKE WON SILVERN I TOKYO, DEREK RECEIVED A MEDAL REPRESENTINGIS H CONTRIBUTIONS AS A OLYMPIC COACH. DUKE: IT WAS AN UNBELIEVAEBL MOMENTOR FE M. WE TOOK A TICKET TOGETHER -- PICTURE TOGETH.ER JATARA: DUKE GETS A HAND WRAP AND THIS TIME WHERE HIS DAD USUALLY SIGNS HE ASKED HIS SISTERS TO LEAVE A MOTIVATING MESSAGE AND A REMINDER OF HIS WHY, THE ONES STILL HERE AND THE ONE WHO'S NOT. DUKE: I DON'T CARE WHAT NOBODY ELSE SAY BUT I CARE WHAT MY DAD SAY. ME DRIFTING AWAY I KNOW HE PROBLYAB WOULD BE OK WITH IT. JATARA: THE BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS NOW HAVE NEW MEANING. AND HIS DAD'S MEMORY HAS A PERMANENT PLACE IN DUKE'S HEART AND ON HIS SIDE. DUKE: I WANT TO PUT IN MY OWN EYES MY OMHST SO HE CAN SEE ME FIGHTING AND HE ALWAYS SAID HE FEELS LIKE'M I FIGHTING, T.OO JATARA: HE SAID WHEN HIS DAD WAS HEAD COACH HE WAS IN THE BEST SHAPE OF HIS LIFE, EVEN BETTER THAN THE SHAPE HE WAS IN DURING THE OLYMPICS. HIS GOAL DURING THIS TRAINING CAMP IS TO GET BACK TO THAT. HIS FIRST MATCH SCEIN TOKYO IS
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Olympic silver medalist Duke Ragan to fight on Saturday

The 2021 Olympic silver medalist will step back into the ring this Saturday in Las Vegas.

The 2021 Olympic silver medalist will step back into the ring this Saturday in Las Vegas. The Cincinnati native, Duke Ragan, will be participating in his second featherweight contest in just six weeks. In Ragan's most recent fight on April 9, he won on a unanimous decision over Diuhl Olguin. Now, he will face Victorino Gonzalez in a bout scheduled for four or six rounds on the undercard of Janibek Alimkhanuly – Danny Dignum. Just two weeks ago, Ragan reunited with his Tokyo teammates for an important post-Olympic visit. He and the full U.S. Olympic Team had the opportunity to visit the White House and meet President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in recognition of the athletes' incredible accomplishments. Ragan enjoyed the once in a lifetime opportunity before returning his full focus to his sixth professional fight.Ragan is competing in Las Vegas for the first time since his three bouts in the Top Rank bubble in 2020. He has been through quite a rollercoaster of experiences since that time. Following his fourth professional bout, Ragan represented the United States in the Olympic Games in the summer of 2021. He won a silver medal for the United States squad, becoming the first American featherweight to claim Olympic hardware since Rocky Juarez in 2000.After his Olympic run, Ragan turned his attention back to his professional career, but he suffered a tragic loss just months after getting home from Tokyo. As Ragan was preparing for his first fight following the Olympic Games, he suddenly lost his father, Derek Ragan.Ragan's family and friends rallied around the boxer following his father's passing. It was his father that first brought him to the gym, and he was actively involved his career even after he was incarcerated in 2019. The two spoke daily and the elder Ragan also kept in consistent contact with his fellow Coach Kay Koroma to ensure his son was on track, even while he was competing on the other side of the world in the Olympic Games.As he prepares to compete for the second time since his father's death, Ragan works to honor him with his performances in the ring. He continues to enjoy a strong support system around him through his many siblings as well as his boxing family. Ragan will be one of four U.S. Olympians to compete in Saturday's action with his 2021 Olympic teammate Tiger Johnson, 2016 Olympian Karlos Balderas and 2012 Olympian and former World Champion Jamel Herring all fighting on Saturday's card.Ragan's bout is expected to begin at approximately 3 p.m. and will stream live on ESPN+.

The 2021 Olympic silver medalist will step back into the ring this Saturday in Las Vegas.

The Cincinnati native, Duke Ragan, will be participating in his second featherweight contest in just six weeks.

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In Ragan's most recent fight on April 9, he won on a unanimous decision over Diuhl Olguin. Now, he will face Victorino Gonzalez in a bout scheduled for four or six rounds on the undercard of Janibek Alimkhanuly – Danny Dignum.

Just two weeks ago, Ragan reunited with his Tokyo teammates for an important post-Olympic visit. He and the full U.S. Olympic Team had the opportunity to visit the White House and meet President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in recognition of the athletes' incredible accomplishments. Ragan enjoyed the once in a lifetime opportunity before returning his full focus to his sixth professional fight.

Ragan is competing in Las Vegas for the first time since his three bouts in the Top Rank bubble in 2020. He has been through quite a rollercoaster of experiences since that time. Following his fourth professional bout, Ragan represented the United States in the Olympic Games in the summer of 2021. He won a silver medal for the United States squad, becoming the first American featherweight to claim Olympic hardware since Rocky Juarez in 2000.

After his Olympic run, Ragan turned his attention back to his professional career, but he suffered a tragic loss just months after getting home from Tokyo. As Ragan was preparing for his first fight following the Olympic Games, he suddenly lost his father, Derek Ragan.

Ragan's family and friends rallied around the boxer following his father's passing. It was his father that first brought him to the gym, and he was actively involved his career even after he was incarcerated in 2019. The two spoke daily and the elder Ragan also kept in consistent contact with his fellow Coach Kay Koroma to ensure his son was on track, even while he was competing on the other side of the world in the Olympic Games.

As he prepares to compete for the second time since his father's death, Ragan works to honor him with his performances in the ring. He continues to enjoy a strong support system around him through his many siblings as well as his boxing family.

Ragan will be one of four U.S. Olympians to compete in Saturday's action with his 2021 Olympic teammate Tiger Johnson, 2016 Olympian Karlos Balderas and 2012 Olympian and former World Champion Jamel Herring all fighting on Saturday's card.

Ragan's bout is expected to begin at approximately 3 p.m. and will stream live on ESPN+.