Stephen Fulton and Brandon Figueroa thrilled boxing fans with an epic battle Saturday night. Once the smoke was clear, Fulton exited the ring with the WBO and WBC super bantamweight titles. Most ringside observers report a close fight that could have gone to either fighter.
Stephen Fulton, a native of Philadelphia, landed the cleaner punches. The unified champion scored points frequently with left hooks and uppercuts on the inside.
Brandon Figueroa remained unfazed throughout the boxing match and continued to attack in waves. The relentless pressure overwhelmed his opponent more than once in the fight.
Fulton landed 37% of the 726 punches he threw on the night. Figueroa threw more punches with 1,060. But his aggression came with less accuracy. Figueroa ended the fight with a 29% percentage for 314 total punches landed.
Two judges agreed Fulton was the winner and saw the fight 116-112. The third judge scored the fight even at 114-114. The fan-friendly boxing match will not be forgotten anytime soon by anyone witnessing the action.
Figueroa disagreed with the decision. And the former champion made it a point to interrupt Fulton’s in-ring interview just moments following the boxing match. “Do you really think you won the fight?” Figueroa asked, then added, “Everyone here knows who won the fight.”
“We could do it again,” Fulton stood his ground. “Let’s run it back.”
Next Up for Stephen Fulton and Brandon Figueroa
Figueroa has already said he would move up in weight following his fight with Fulton. It is unclear whether he will stay at bantamweight for a rematch.
Stephen Fulton is now 20-0 with eight knockouts. He admitted that the contest with Figueroa was a “good” and “close” fight. He now hopes to land a fight with Murodjon Akhmadaliev, the man holding the IBF and WBA bantamweight titles.
Brandon Figueroa falls to 22-1-1. He has knocked out 17 previous opponents. His take on the fight is a little different: “the biggest robbery of the year,” is Figueroa’s assessment.