Brandon Figueroa Determined to Prove He Is More Than a Brawler

Brandon Figueroa is one of the world’s best featherweights and a former junior featherweight titleholder who now holds an interim title at 126 pounds.

Just don’t call him a brawler.

Figueroa (24-1-1, 18 KOs) is set to fight Jessie Magdaleno at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, and he knows the fight is a gateway to bigger nights.

Magdaleno (29-2, 18 KOs) last fought in April 2023, losing to current featherweight world titleholder Raymond Ford.

Coming off a long layoff, Figueroa is eager to show off his crowd-pleasing style – but he is also determined to shed his reputation as a straight-ahead swinger.

“There’s a method to the madness,” Figuero said. “People think I just come forward and punch, but there’s a meticulousness to that. I want to confuse my opponent and not give him the same look.”

Figueroa lost a majority decision to Stephen Fulton Jr. in 2021, an outcome that many disputed. But he has since won two fights at his new weight class (featherweight), including a thriller against Mark Magsayo.

“I’m a multi-dimensional fighter, and that’s why I’m so dangerous,” Figueroa said.

Figueroa, a native of Weslaco, Texas, and younger brother of former titleholder Omar Figueroa Jr., now resides in Las Vegas, where he believes he can get the best sparring. He has taken himself away from familiar surroundings and loved ones and, now fighting on a Saul “Canelo” Alvarez card, is eager to make an impression on fans.

“You have to get out of your comfort zone, and I’m out here in Las Vegas away from family and home,” Figueroa said. “I miss my people back home, but I have to do what I have to do.”

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.