Featherweight ‘Heartbreaker’ Brandon Figueroa left the United States for the first time in his pro career for his Feb. 7 fight, as he takes on Britain’s Nick Ball at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, atop a Queensberry Promotions card on DAZN.
A two-weight world champion, Figueroa has been a mainstay on the American boxing scene, competing in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Antonio, losing only to Stephen Fulton (twice), but beating Luis Nery, Mark Magsayo, and Jessie Magdaleno between the defeats.
Ball, meanwhile, has only one small blemish on his resume — a split draw with Rey Vargas in 2024 — a fight which he has rebounded from by winning four fights since then, including a WBA featherweight title win over Raymond Ford, before defending the belt thrice.
Ball puts that title on the line once again Saturday as he welcomes Figueroa for a bout in front of his partisan fans.
“He’s going to be good,” Ball said, according to the Liverpool Echo. “He’s a good fighter and you don’t become a two-weight world champion by being average.”
“It is going to be a good fight. He’s going to be coming and it is going to go off. I have fought some tough guys, but this is my next fight in line and I am not looking past him.”
The main card is scheduled to start a 7 p.m. GMT (local time), which means 2 p.m. for those on the East Coast in the US, and 11 a.m. for PT on the West Coast. This means its likely Figueroa and Ball will make their ring walks at approximately 10.15 p.m. (local time).
Other main card fights on the night include: Andrew Cain vs Alejandro Jair Gonzalez, Jack Turner vs Juan Carlos Martinez Urbina, and Brad Strand vs. Ruben Lezama Gonzalez.
Per Ring Magazine’s featherweight rankings, Ball is ranked No.3, and Figueroa is No.7. One fighter who might be watching with interest is another American, Bruce Carrington, who tipped Ball to win.
Ball responded by hoping “he turns up,” so he can book his next title defense. First, though, he has to dispatch Figueroa.