By Allan Fox: Former two division world champion Vic Darchinyan (38-5-1, 27 KO’s) moved up in weight to the super bantamweight division last night to defeat an inexperienced and some would say a badly ove-hyped #7 WBA, #12 WBC, #10 IBF, #11 WBO, Louis Del Valle (16-1, 11 KO’s)) by a 10 round unanimous decision by the scores of 98-91, 98-91 and 96-91.

Darchinyan was quoted by fightnews.com as saying “I’m back! I feel good at this weight.”

However, Darchinyan is kidding himself if he thinks he’s going to end up a champion at this weight. At flyweight and super flyweight, Darchinyan was a huge puncher and was able to dominate his opposition with his power and sheer aggressiveness. However, in moving up to bantamweight and now super bantamweight, Darchinyan hasn’t carried his power with him. I’m surprised he even commented about feeling good at the new weight, because he’s struggled ever since he moved up to bantamweight, losing four out of his seven fights at this weight class. That’s terrible.

Darchinyan’s power didn’t come up with him when he moved to bantamweight and you’d figured he understand that he’s not the same fighter since moving up. Darchinyan should have moved back down to super flyweight once he was no longer knocking guys out and winning more than he was losing, but he’s stuck it out. Before Saturday’s fight with Del Valle, Darchinyan had lost two fights in a row and had them badly. That tells you that Darchinyan didn’t belong at bantamweight, and now he’s moving up to super bantamweight where his power is even less of a factor.

Darchinyan was hitting Del Valle right on the button with his best left hand shots and had no affect on him whatsoever. These same shots would have knocked out most of Darchinyan’s opposition if he were still fighting at flyweight and super flyweight. Obviously, Darchinyan has moved up in weight because the money is better at bantamweight and super bantamweight than it was a flyweight and super flyweight, but what good is it if Darchinyan can’t the top guys? He lost to Abner Mares, Ansemo Moreno, Shinsuke Yamabaka and Joseph Agbeko at bantamweight, and I expect him to lose to the super bantamweight champions Guillermo Rigondeaux, Mares and Nonito Donaire when he eventually gets a shot against one or all of them.

Darchinyan isn’t back and he’s kidding himself. His power isn’t there for him at this weight and he’s just going to get dominated when he eventually gets a title shot fighting at super bantamweight. He needs to move back down to super flyweight or flyweight to resurrect his career because he’s not going anywhere at this weight.