By Keith Idec

Kathy Duva thinks Karl Dargan can win a lightweight world title someday.

Duva, whose company promotes Dargan, also realizes that if the slow-developing prospect from Philadelphia is ever to reach that level he’ll have to have a big year in 2015. Dargan, who was an accomplished amateur, will turn 30 in June and hasn’t beaten a ranked lightweight on his way to building a 17-0 record, which includes nine knockouts.

His 10-round fight Friday night against Canada’s Tony Luis (18-2, 7 KOs), an ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights” main event, figures to be the most difficult of Dargan’s seven-year pro career.

“Dargan had a big 2014 and we expect 2015 to be even bigger,” said Duva, chief executive officer for Main Events. “With this fight, he’ll have another opportunity to pick up a regional title [WBC Continental Americas] and move up in the lightweight rankings, but it won’t be easy. Tony Luis will press the action, so Dargan will have to fight. On a national platform like ESPN, a big win in an explosive fight can catapult the winner to stardom. Both of these fighters understand that, so I expect a great fight on Jan. 30.”

ESPN2’s telecast from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., will begin at 9 p.m. ET. The opening bout will pit Russell Lamour (11-0, 5 KOs), of Portland, Maine, against Thomas Falowo (12-3, 8 KOs), of Pawtucket, R.I., in an eight-round middleweight match.

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.