Brandon Figueroa to Fight Stephen Fulton in Featherweight Rematch This December

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Brandon Figueroa is heading back to the ring this December…

The 27-year-old Mexican American professional boxer will meet Stephen Fulton in a featherweight rematch on the December 14 Gervonta Davis–Lamont Roach undercard in Houston, per ESPN sources.

When they fought in November 2021, Fulton defeated Figueroa via majority decision in one of the best fights of the year.

That was a 122-pound title unification where both boxers entered the ring as champions. In the aftermath of his loss, Figueroa was adamant the decision was a “robbery.”

Three years later, they’ll meet at 126 pounds as former champions.

Fulton (22-1, 8 KOs) has fought three times since. The 30-year-old from Philadelphia moved up to 126 pounds last month to fight Carlos Castro. He was dropped in Round 5 but emerged with a split-decision victory.

That was Fulton’s first bout since his Round 8 TKO loss last summer in a title unification with Naoya Inoue in Tokyo. Fulton is ESPN’s No. 9 featherweight.

Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs) is ESPN’s No. 4 boxer at 126 pounds. He also competed three times since his loss to Fulton, all of them at 122 pounds.

Figueroa defeated Castro by TKO in Round 6 of their July 2022 fight and also outpointed Mark Magsayo.

Figueroa has held the WBC interim featherweight title since March 2023 and previously the WBC super bantamweight title in 2021 and the WBA super bantamweight title from 2019 to 2021.

Luis Nery to Reportedly Fight Naoya Inoue in Tokyo This May

Posted on January 9, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Nery is heading back to the ring in the near future…

The 29-year-old Mexican boxer and Naoya Inoue have agreed to a deal for a May fight in Tokyo for Inoue’s undisputed junior featherweight championship, per ESPN sources.

Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) claimed ESPN Fighter of the Year honors when he KOed Marlon Tapales in Round 10 last month to become undisputed champion.

The Japanese star’s victory followed an eighth-round TKO win over Stephen Fulton in July, when Inoue claimed two titles in his 122-pound debut. Inoue, 30, is ESPN’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer.

Nery (34-1, 26 KOs) received an indefinite suspension from the Japan Boxing Commission in March 2018, but officials involved have been assured the Mexican will be reinstated, sources said.

The ban was handed down following Nery’s pair of stoppage wins over Japan’s longtime champion Shinsuke Yamanaka.

Nery scored a fourth-round TKO win over Yamanaka to capture the WBC bantamweight title in August 2017, but was suspended afterward when the banned substance zilpaterol was found in his system.

Nery argued the adverse finding was the result of tainted meat consumed in Mexico.

In the March 2018 rematch, Nery stopped Yamanaka in Round 2 but did so after he weighed 121 pounds for a 118-pound title bout. The pair of violations led to the ban.

But Nery earned a shot against Inoue, who usually fights in Japan, when he scored an 11th-round KO over Azat Hovhannisyan in February. The WBC title eliminator was named ESPN‘s runner-up for Fight of the Year.

Nery has won four consecutive fights since his lone professional defeat, a seventh-round TKO vs. Brandon Figueroa in a May 2021 title fight. Nery is rated No. 3 by ESPN at 122 pounds.

Against Inoue, Nery faces long odds to become a two-time junior featherweight champion. “The Monster” is a generational talent fighting at the peak of his powers.

Inoue’s undisputed title victory over Tapales was remarkably his second in as many weight classes in the past year. Inoue stopped Paul Butler in the 11th round of their December 2022 meeting to become undisputed champion at 118 pounds.

Inoue also reigned as champion at 108 and 115 pounds.

Brandon Figueroa Finalizing Deal to Fight Mark Magsayo in Featherweight Bout

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Brandon Figueroa is thisclose to locking in his next opponent…

The 26-year-old Mexican American professional boxer, nicknamed “The Heartbreaker,” and Mark Magsayo are finalizing a deal for a March 4 featherweight bout in the U.S., according to ESPN.

The PBC on Showtime bout would feature two of ESPN’s top 10 boxers at 126 pounds (Magsayo is No. 6 while Figueroa is No. 10).

Figueroa (23-1-1, 18 KOs) was in talks to meet Stephen Fulton in a rematch after the WBC ordered the matchup for its interim featherweight title. But with Fulton in talks to meet Naoya Inoue in Japan at 122 pounds, Figueroa is now slated to fight Magsayo in a battle of former champions that is shaping up to be a slugfest.

Figueroa, a volume-puncher from Weslaco, Texas, lost his 122-pound title via majority decision in a unification bout against Fulton that was one of the best action fights of 2021. He moved up to 126 pounds afterward with a sixth-round TKO of Carlos Castro in June.

Magsayo (24-1, 16 KOs) won his first title in January with a major upset, a majority-decision victory over longtime featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. Magsayo lost the 126-pound title in July to Rey Vargas via split decision in a grueling fight (he floored Vargas in Round 9.)

The 27-year-old Filipino is promoted by countryman Manny Pacquiao, one of boxing’s all-time greats.

Daniel Roman to Fight Defending Unified 122-Pound Champion Stephen Fulton

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Daniel Roman is hoping to take down a champion…

Stephen Fulton will defend his unified 122-pound championship against the 31-year-old Mexican American boxer in a PBC on Showtime main event on June 4, according to ESPN.

Roman is former unified super bantamweight champion, having held the WBA (Unified), and IBF titles from 2019 to January 2020, and previously the WBA (Regular) title from 2017 to 2019.

Fulton and Roman are among the sport’s most reliable-action fighters, two volume-punchers who fight aggressively but with craft.

Fulton (20-0, 8 KOs) threw over 1,110 punches when he outpointed Angelo Leo in January 2021 to win his first title. The Philadelphia-native then added a second belt with a thrilling majority decision victory over Brandon Figueroa in November.

If Fulton, ESPN‘s No. 1-rated junior featherweight, can triumph over Roman, a matchup with Murodjon Akhmadaliev would crown an undisputed champion. But first, he needs to get past Roman.

Roman, ESPN‘s No. 5 122-pounder, has won two bouts since a split decision loss to Akhmadaliev in a January 2020 title fight.

The Los Angeles native made four successful defenses of his title before the defeat.

Brandon Figueroa to Put WBC & WBA Titles On Line Against Stephen Fulton in November

Posted on September 18, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Brandon Figueroa is putting his titles on the line…

The 24-year-old Mexican American professional boxer, who currently holds the WBC and WBA super bantamweight titles, will face Stephen Fulton on November 27 at Park MGM in Las Vegas, according to Premier Boxing Champions.

The Showtime main event was set for September 18 but was postponed after Figueroa tested positive for COVID-19.

Murodjon Akhmadaliev, ESPN’s No. 1 boxer at junior featherweight, holds two titles. After Fulton and Figueroa fight — assuming there’s no draw — there will be just two champions at 122 pounds, clearing the path for an undisputed title fight next year.

Fulton (19-0, 8 KOs) won the WBO version of the title in January with a unanimous decision victory over Angelo Leo. The 27-year-old Philadelphian, ESPN’s No. 2 junior featherweight, threw 1,183 punches in the breakthrough win.

Figueroa (22-0-1, 17 KOs) won the WBC junior featherweight title with a seventh-round KO of Luis Nery in a career-best performance in May. The volume puncher from Weslaco, Texas, and ESPN’s No. 3 boxer at 122 pounds is the younger brother of former title contender Omar Figueroa Jr.

The bout, which features two volume punchers, seems like a can’t-miss action fight.

The undercard is topped by Ra’eese Aleem, ESPN’s No. 7 boxer at 122 pounds, against Eduardo Baez. Aleem is coming off a career-best win, an 11th-round stoppage of Vic Pasillas in January. Gary Antonio Russell, the younger brother of Gary Russell Jr., meets Alejandro Barrios in the 118-pound opener.

Brandon Figueroa Knocks Out Luis Nery to Capture WBC Title

Posted on May 16, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Brandon Figueroa is officially a WBC titleholder…

In a career-best effort, the 24-year-old Latino boxer knocked out Luis Nery in the 7th round to become a legitimate titleholder in the 122-pound division.

Their two-belt title fight ended with Figueroa putting Nery down for the count in their Showtime main event on Saturday evening at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

A right uppercut followed by a left to the body forced Nery to the canvas via delayed reaction knockdown, with referee Thomas Taylor counting him out at 2:18 of round seven.

“It feels amazing,” Figueroa stated after claiming Nery’s WBC 122-pound title while defending his secondary WBA belt. “It’s a dream come true that I’ve had since I was seven years old. Now I’m here living it.”

The pair of unbeaten junior featherweights did their best to live up to lofty pre-fight public expectations of a slugfest. As much was expected by Nery and Figueroa from the moment they posted wins in separate bouts on the September 26 Showtime Pay-Per-View event in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Tijuana’s Nery became a two-division titlist that night, outpointing countryman Aaron Alameda to win the WBC junior featherweight strap. Figueroa tore through Damien Vazquez in a 10th round stoppage to defend his secondary WBA title to pave the way for a showdown with Nery.

Figueroa—born and raised in Weslaco, Texas—improves to 22-0-1 (17KOs). The unbeaten titlist landed 177-of-648 total punches (27%), including 173-of-533 power punches (32%). None were bigger than the left hand that put Nery down and done for the night.

“I know everybody doubted me, but it’s all hard work,” Figueroa noted. “We did our homework. We took our time and just took it to him. Joel (Diaz, Figueroa’s trainer) kept telling me to pressure him, that he wasn’t going to last. I did just that.”

Figueroa was ahead 58-56 on the scorecard of Zachary Young at the time of the stoppage, while Dr. Lou Moret had it 59-55 in favor of Nery. Edward Hernandez Sr. saw the action even at 57-57, with Figueroa ultimately taking it out of the judges’ hands.

The win comes two weeks after older brother Omar Figueroa suffered a knockout loss to Abel Ramos in this very venue. The younger Figueroa also came through for his family in August 2019, scoring a 4th round knockout of Javier Chacon at home which came one month after Omar suffered his first career defeat.

This arena holds a special place in Figueroa’s heart, having won the WBA interim junior featherweight title in an 8th round knockout of Yonfrez Parejo in April 2019. He was eventually upgraded to “World” champion though still secondary to WBA “Super titlist Murodjon Akhmadaliev (9-0. 7KOs).

Figueroa now holds the WBC belt and has a chance to add the WBO strap when he faces defending champ Stephen Fulton (19-0, 8KOs) on September 11. Fulton will be the favorite heading into the bout, though Figueroa is already used to that as the majority of industry insiders pegged Nery to prevail.

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