WBC featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa is gearing up for his rematch with Stephen Fulton Jr. on February 1st. He emphasizes the need to be more patient and utilize his boxing skills effectively. Fulton, on the other hand, reflects on his past mistakes and the changes in his game since their first fight.

"Brandon Figueroa's Rematch Journey: Patience and Boxing Skills"

Figueroa's Approach and Past Mistakes

Brandon Figueroa believes that in their first fight three years ago on November 27, 2021, he pressed too hard and smothered his own power. He now realizes the importance of being more patient and showcasing his other boxing abilities. He aims to go out there and make a statement, taking a step back and trusting in his skills more.Looking at the punch stats from their first fight, Figueroa landed 314 of 1060 punches for a 30%, while Fulton Jr. was 247 of 668 for 37%. This shows that Fulton had a better punch accuracy in the previous encounter. But Figueroa is determined to change that and use his boxing ability to gain the upper hand.

Fulton's Journey and Recent Fights

Fulton, who was 25-1-1 with 19 KOs before the rematch, felt that he smothered his power by fighting in close in the first fight. He has since had a setback, being knocked out by Naoya Inoue in the eighth round last year in July. After a 14-month layoff, he defeated Carlos Castro by a 10-round split decision on September 14th.In that fight against Castro, Fulton was rocked in the fifth round and sent to the canvas multiple times. This shows that there may still be remnants from his knockout loss to Inoue affecting his ability to take punches. Fulton is now 30 and has had a 10-year career, and he knows he is not at the same level as he was when he beat Figueroa three years ago.

Figueroa's Training and Future Goals

Figueroa will have to rely more on his boxing ability if he wants to avoid being outboxed again by Fulton. If his power has improved, he could potentially duplicate what Inoue did to Fulton by landing a hard headshot to knock him out. But it will require speed and accuracy.In his last three fights against Jesse Magdaleno, Mark Magsayo, and Carlos Castro, Figueroa has been honing his skills. He is now focused on this training camp and is determined to prove that he is the best 126-pounder. He also expresses his interest in fighting Naoya Inoue and believes that beating him would elevate him to one of the pound-for-pound best.Figueroa acknowledges that Fulton will be well-prepared and that they will give fans a great show. He is an exciting and aggressive fighter, and he is ready to showcase his skills in the rematch.