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Brandon Figueroa and Stephen Fulton are finally set for their big showdown Saturday night on Showtime. The two undefeated fighters will battle in a unification bout for the super bantamweight titles.
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The fight is one of the biggest of the year for a weight class that tends to be quite overlooked. Heading into the bout, Fulton is seen as a big favorite over Figueroa.
But is that entirely fair? Let's take a look at what to expect on Saturday night.
Brandon Figueroa vs. Stephen Fulton: Preview
There is quite the style clash heading into this bout at 122-pounds. Brandon Figueroa, for his part, is one of the most entertaining fighters at super bantamweight. He always moves forward, and is always looking for a huge shot.
It's worth noting, that Figueroa seems to get that shot often, as he currently holds 17 knockouts in his 23 fight career. His trademark power was seen in his most recent bout, where he knocked out former two-weight world champion Luis Nery.
However, his entertaining style can lead to lots of openings, making him extremely hittable. The 24-year-old has already been in his fair share of wars, and that's where Stephen Fulton comes in.
The 27-year-old from Philadelphia has phenomenal footwork, and unlike Figueroa isn't easily pulled into the war. He's got crisp, technical boxing and is very defensively sound. Figueroa is a great fighter, but he's on the wrong end of this style clash on Saturday.
Brandon Figueroa vs. Stephen Fulton: Prediction
There's very little doubt that Brandon Figueroa is going to win exchanges and rounds, however the harsh reality is that he's in a bad matchup on Saturday.
If one looks up and down the whole 122-pound division, you're not going to find someone who's a worse matchup for Figueroa. Fulton can fight on the inside as he showed in his most recent fight against Angelo Leo, but more than likely he's going to use his footwork and fight on the outside in this one.
His jab is money and good enough to keep Figueroa at range. If not, his chin is good enough to sustain the fire coming back at him. It's entirely possible that Figueroa has another gear in him, that the young kid will show that he can do more than just brawl.
However, based off of the tape we have on both men, we're going to see Stephen Fulton come out with a big win this weekend.
The Outcome
If Brandon Figueroa can impose his will and fight his fight, he can absolutely pull off the upset. However, the odds exist for a reason, and that's not likely.
What is most likely is Stephen Fulton controlling the distance and minimizing the inside fighting. He's going to rack up rounds and walk away with another title at the end of the night.
Prediction: Stephen Fulton via decision.
