Stephen Fulton’s bid to become Philadelphia’s first-ever three-division world champion collapsed at the scales on Friday, as the WBC featherweight titleholder came in well over the 130lbs limit for his showdown with O’Shaquie Foster. Fulton weighed 132lbs on his second attempt, disqualifying himself from winning Foster’s junior lightweight belt.
The fight will proceed as scheduled on Saturday in San Antonio, but Fulton will be fined and is no longer eligible to claim the title, even with a win. Foster will receive credit for an official defense if he emerges victorious.
Questions now loom over the status of Fulton’s WBC featherweight championship. He has not fought at 126lbs since defeating Brandon Figueroa earlier this year, and if he fails to clarify his intentions, interim titlist Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington could be elevated to full champion ahead of his January 31 fight with Carlos Castro.
Fulton’s miss adds to an already turbulent fight week for the PBC pay-per-view event. Earlier, Janibek Alimkhanuly was removed from the card after an adverse test result for Meldonium, forcing Erislandy Lara to pivot to late replacement Johan Gonzalez for his WBA middleweight title defense.
The main event remains intact, with Isaac Cruz (138.6lbs) and Lamont Roach Jnr (139.6lbs) both making weight for their 12-round clash.
Image Credit: PBC