Weslaco’s Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa is set to return to the ring this weekend, and he’ll be fighting for gold when he steps inside the squared circle.
Figueroa collides against Mark Magsayo for the vacant interim World Boxing Council featherweight championship belt Saturday on Showtime at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif.
Figueroa (22-1-1, 17 KOs) and Magsayo (24-1, 16 KOs) headline the Premier Boxing Champions event on Showtime, which begins at 8 p.m.
“I can’t wait to get back in the ring to do what I love,” Figueroa said. “I want to fight the best, so I’m very motivated to be up against a former champion at featherweight like Magsayo. I’m confident that we’re going to give the fans a great fight, because neither of us like to take a step back. This is my chance to really show what I’m capable of at 126 pounds, and I’m just eager to dominate and prove it to the world.”
The 26-year-old Figueroa’s last fight was his debut at 126 pounds as he dominated Carlos Castro en route to a sixth-round TKO on July 9, 2022. It was Figueroa’s first fight since suffering the first loss of his career in what CBS Boxing voted the 2021 fight of the year, a majority decision defeat for the WBC and WBO super bantamweight championships against Stephen Fulton on Nov. 27, 2021.
Figueroa, the former WBC super bantamweight champion, now has a chance to win gold at featherweight, but he’ll have to get past Magsayo, who has already held gold at 126 pounds.
“Everyone is going to see that I’m coming with everything. I have to make a big statement at 126 and leave my mark. I’m trying to win more titles and show I’m one of the best,” he said. “I had a great training camp working in Las Vegas. I have an amazing team and I have my family supporting me. I can’t wait to give everyone a great show. I’m going to mix it up with Mark. I have nothing but respect for him, but I’m ready.”
A native of the Philippines, Magsayo won the WBC featherweight title Jan. 22, 2022, with a majority decision victory against Gary Russell Jr. then lost the belt against Rey Vargas in a split decision on July 7, 2022.
“This is a true Mexican vs. Filipino style matchup, and I can’t wait to get back in the ring to perform once again,” Magsayo said.
Figueroa has a 2-inch height advantage and 4.5-inch reach advantage on Magsayo. He said there are areas he can exploit in Magsayo’s game after his loss against Vargas.
“This is going to be early ‘Spring Break’ action. We’re both coming to fight and coming to win,” Figueroa said. “This is what boxing is all about. We’re facing the best of the best. Now we just have to put it all together on Saturday night and give the fans a great show.”