Stephen Fulton is on the verge of earning a second world title when he takes on Brandon Figueroa for the WBC featherweight belt on February 1. Their rematch lands on the David Benavidez vs. David Morrell undercard at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Fulton, who edged Figueroa by majority decision four years ago at junior featherweight, says he’s determined to repeat his victory - even though he’s stepping up to a new weight class.
The 30-year-old Fulton once held the WBC and WBO 122-pound titles, defending them successfully before losing to Naoya Inoue. His latest outing was a split decision win over Carlos Castro in September, and now he’s focused on capturing a championship at 126. For Fulton, it’s about proving he can match Figueroa’s rugged style by fighting smart, making adjustments, and "talking with his fists" when the bell rings.
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Figueroa, meanwhile, carries a single loss on his resume, the one Fulton handed him. Upgraded from interim to full champion after Rey Vargas suffered an injury, Figueroa aims to settle unfinished business and avenge that lone defeat. He’s coming off victories over Mark Magsayo and Jessie Magdaleno, so his confidence will be high. If he can push Fulton into a brawl, the fight could look different than their initial meeting.
But Fulton believes winning this featherweight strap will set up future unifications against the other divisional champions - names like Nick Ball (WBA), Angelo Leo (IBF), or Rafael Espinoza (WBO). For now, his priority is leaving Las Vegas with the WBC belt around his waist.
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