Brandon Figueroa is the current WBC Featherweight champion and a former WBC Super Bantamweight champion. He lost the latter by suffering his first career loss to Stephen Fulton. The Weslaco, Texas native moved up in weight classes following his loss to Fulton. And this decision has paid off in spades as he now stands on the brink of a major rematch against the same opponent. They squared for the first time in November 2021. However, the 28-year-old has since bounced back from his defeat impressively. He’s currently riding a three-fight win streak, which includes knockout victories over Carlos Castro and Jessie Magdaleno in the featherweight division.
On February 1, Brandon Figueroa will face Stephen Fulton once again, since his opponent also seems to have moved up a division following his loss to Naoya Inoue. The bout will be a co-main event alongside David Morrell’s clash with David Benavidez at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In doing so, he will be representing his country, which isn’t what some may think.
Which country does Brandon Figueroa represent?
Even though the 25-1 boxer has his surname, Figueroa, one must not confuse his nationality. Given his surname, many might assume that he represents Mexico. However, Figueroa is actually an American citizen by birth. He was born in 1996 in Weslaco, Texas—a small town located just a short drive from the Mexican border. Brandon Figueroa is of Mexican descent, which makes him Mexican-American.
A fun fact—as a fighter, Brandon Figueroa has never competed outside of the United States, ever since he turned professional in 2015 at the age of 19. Throughout his career, he only performed in front of familiar fans. “This will be one of the most special fights of my career because I’m fighting in this arena in front of my family and supporters,” the 25-1 boxer admitted before fighting Javier Chacon in August 2019 at Bert Ogden Arena, Edinburg, Texas.
Now if you’re curious to know more about who are the forces that pushed the WBC featherweight champion to be this great in the ring, here is the answer. Even though there is less information about his mother, we know how his initial days with his father went.
Who are Brandon’s parents and how did he get started?
Only a few people in his native land would have predicted that Brandon Figueroa would one day become a world-class boxer. Why, you ask? Brandon’s father, Omar Figueroa Sr., was a streetfighter who initially trained his eldest son, Omar Jr., to box. But Brandon Figueroa wasn’t even on his father’s radar when it came to the sport.
By the age of eight, Brandon Figueroa was already traveling to Mexico for amateur boxing tournaments with his father and brother. It was during these trips that he earned his famous nickname from the local crowd. Enchanted by his dark hair and striking blue eyes, girls who watched the show would scream “Rompecorazones” (Heartbreaker). Ever since, the nickname got stuck. What’s more interesting is the fact that Brandon Figueroa even modeled for a short period as a teen.
However, no one could deny the fighting spirit in his blood. And it was only evident when his father saw him working in the gym and taking down men bigger than him. Brandon Figueroa’s aggressive, high-volume attack was enough for his father to start training him. And those qualities were also evident in his March 2023 fight against Mark Magsayo.
Why, you ask? Because Mark Magsayo cut the 28-year-old boxer’s right eye during round 4. And if that wasn’t enough, he again cut his left eye in round 10. Regardless, Brandon Figueroa still fought on and managed to defeat the hard-hitting Philippino boxer via a unanimous decision and won the WBC Interim Featherweight title. It was indeed one of his scariest fights.
“My father and brother have always instilled it in me to not fear any opposition. I’ve never said no to any fight, that’s just the way we were raised. I’m fearless,” Figueroa recalled in an interview with PBC.
His work ethic and conditioning became his trademark. Even during downtime, Brandon Figueroa would make sure to stay in peak physical shape, ensuring that his endurance is always top-notch. The reason? His November 2019 match with Julio Ceja. The match ended in a draw. But when the Weslaco native fought Damien Vazquez in September 2020, he emerged back with a knockout victory against the 17-4, boxer.
Do you also remember his professional debut matches? Those 4 years of knockout victories and unanimous decision wins set the tone for what would become a stellar career for the WBC Featherweight champion. As he prepares for his rematch with Stephen Fulton, his future in boxing looks brighter than ever. So what do you think of Brandon Figueroa’s journey so far? How do you think Figueroa will fare in his rematch with Stephen Fulton? Do share your thoughts below.
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