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With Brandon Figueroa heading into his Feb. 1 rematch with Stephen Fulton for the WBC featherweight title, he speaks to Fight Hype about his preparations for the bout and his expectations to show off an improved style. Figueroa, who lost a majority decision to Fulton in a late 2021 fight at 122 lbs, gets his shot at redemption in this higher weight class as he looks to establish himself as an elite level fighter. Check out some excerpts of what he had to say below.
Figueroa on his rematch with Fulton and how he’s preparing for the fight
“He thinks I’m going to just come forward like a one-dimensional fighter but I want him to think that. I want him to think I’m going to just bulldoze him and come forward because he’s going to get ready for that style, but when I show him a little difference in my style I feel like that’s going to play a big factor.”
On if he intends to make a statement against Fulton that demands him a fight against Naoya Inoue
“Yes, of course…I have to go out there and make a statement, especially if I want the big fights and I want the top level guys, I got to go out there and make a statement. I got to go out there and make some noise and show people that I’m not one to mess with. That’s what I want to portray, that’s what I want to give to the fans, is the fact that I’m here to stay, I’m here to be one of the greats, I’m here to be one of the best fighters on the planet and I have to do so by beating these world level guys in great fashion.”
On what’s different from him fight at 126 vs 122
“Just the power that I bring to 126 is just different. I’m a big 122-pounder and now I’m a big 126-pounder. It’s just different. I feel more confident in myself, in my skills, and the power’s there. So definitely come fight night I’m going to be very strong, going to be very explosive and I feel like a lot of people are going to be surprised at the things I’ve been working on and the things I’ve been trying to improve on to become a complete fighter.
“So it’s going to be a mix of different things but the same fighter is always there, a forward fighter, a pressure fighter, exciting fighter, volume puncher, body snatcher…it’s just going to be little traces of different things that I’m going to be showcasing just to improve my style better.”
