Brandon Figueroa says he is in his prime as he prepares for a rematch against Stephen Fulton. The contest takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on February 1. The pair battles it out in the co-feature to David Benavidez vs David Morrell, live on pay-per-view.
Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs) of Weslaco, TX and Fulton (22-1, 8 KOs) of Philadelphia, PA first fought in November 2021 also in Las Vegas. After 12 rounds of a super bantamweight championship unification, the latter took the victory, retained his WBO belt, and claimed the WBC strap by majority decision.
Figueroa bounced back and secured three straight victories. In his previous outing last May, the 28-year-old landed the interim WBC featherweight title by knockout in the ninth round against Jessie Magdaleno. He was elevated to a full champion last October after Rey Vargas was named “champion in recess” by the sanctioning body.
Fulton successfully defended the belts by unanimous decision against Daniel Roman the following June, but was then dethroned by Naoya Inoue via eighth-round TKO in July 2023. The 30-year-old returned to winning ways last September, taking a split decision against Carlos Castro.
Brandon Figueroa: I’m definitely in my prime right now
“This is gonna be an action-packed fight and an action-packed card,” Brandon Figueroa said from Pound 4 Pound Gym in Las Vegas. “I think everyone on this card is really hungry to prove themselves, and that’s gonna make this a great night.”
“I’m coming into this fight hungry and prepared 110%. Every opponent is dangerous when given the opportunity. That’s my whole mentality. I over prepare, because you can’t be sure of anything in this sport.”
“I’ve had good wins since our first fight and I’ve continued to grow as a fighter for sure. But I don’t take anything away from Fulton for his recent performances either. I know that I make him better as a fighter, just like he makes me better. I know that he’s gonna be at his best because he knows what I bring to the ring.”
“I’m always evolving as a fighter. I have to make my style better and get sharper and sharper. To fight the top level guys like this, I have to keep getting better. I have to show that I can do everything.”
“This is going to be a big year for me and I’m very excited to keep taking every opportunity that I get. I’m definitely in my prime right now. I feel strong and I can’t wait to put it all together in the ring.”
In the main event, undefeated former two-time super middleweight champion David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) faces unbeaten southpaw David Morrell (11-0, 9 KOs). Benavidez of Phoenix, Arizona puts his interim WBC light heavyweight title on the line. Cuba’s Morrell brings to the ring his WBA “Regular” belt.
Also on the card, former champion Isaac Cruz (26-3-1, 18 KOs) and Angel Fierro (22-2-2, 17 KOs) meet in an all-Mexican showdown at super lightweight. Plus, Jesus Ramos Jr. (21-1, 17 KOs) of Casa Grande, AZ takes on Miami-based former unified super welterweight champion Jeison Rosario (24-4-2, 18 KOs) of the Dominican Republic.