Featherweight Brandon Figueroa has a clear mission for his next fight. That was revenge on the only man who had ever defeated him.
Figueroa will face Stephen Fulton Jnr in the co-feature of the David Benavidez-David Morrell pay-per-view card, which takes place on February 1 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Figueroa, now 25-1-1 (19 KO), dropped a majority decision to Fulton in their junior featherweight unification fight in November 2021, but he won both. Three fights since then. After stopping Carlos Castro in July 2022, Figueroa captured the interim featherweight title by defeating Marc. Magsayo in March 2023, last May. He knocked out former belt holder Jesse Magdaleno.
Figueroa, 28, from Weslaco, Texas, wants to prove he’s not the same fighter who fought Fulton and lost.
“I am always improving as a fighter,” Figueroa said in a media release on Thursday. Exercise “I need to make my style better and sharper. to fight with high-ranking people I have to keep improving. I have to show that I can do anything.”
In the first Fulton bout, a slight majority of fans who scored the fight on BoxRec.com gave Figueroa the advantage. Since then, like Figueroa, Fulton has fought only three times. Most notably, in July 2023, he was knocked out by Naoya Inoue in Japan. Fulton then had to sit out 14 months before returning against Carlos Castro, winning a split decision. But it must be removed from the process.
“I had a good win from our first fight. And I continued to grow. As a fighter,” Figueroa said. “I don’t take anything. away from Fulton for his latest performance, I know I It makes him better as a fighter. Like he made me better, I know. That he would do his best because he knew what I could do. ring.”
Fulton, 30, from Philadelphia. He fought many times in the featherweight division. before unifying the two junior featherweight titles with Figueroa. But Castro’s match was his first against a world-class 126-pound opponent.
Even entering the fight with a victory over Figueroa. But Fulton is 22-1 (8 knockouts) and appears to be a fighter who still has a lot to prove. Ever since he lost to Inoue Fulton has only fought once against Castro – and it wasn’t a strong performance.
As the featherweight division appears to be undergoing a new format, Figueroa believes he is nearing the peak of his powers. and can be crowned champion in the weight class
“I’m definitely in my prime right now,” Figueroa said. “I feel strong. And I can’t wait to put it all together in the ring.”
Lucas Ketelle chose an unconventional path in boxing. and eventually found advancement in the gym and media. During the past decade He has hosted the “Lukie Boxing” podcast, filmed training camps for fighters like Arnold Barboza Jnr, Mikey Garcia and Caleb Plant, and worked with top experts like Mike Bazzel. Ketelle is also the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing” Guide for Young Fighters. Writer for ProBox TV, BoxingScene and member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @LukieBoxing.
