Mark Magsayo’s promoter predicted that Brandon Figueroa’s fighting style will enable the Filipino featherweight to knock him out Saturday night.
Figueroa’s chin has been one of his greatest strengths since he made his pro debut in May 2015. His relentless aggression has led to countless exciting exchanges in his fights, yet the durable Figueroa has lost only a 12-round majority decision to undefeated Stephen Fulton in their 122-pound title unification fight 15 months ago at Park MGM’s Dolby Live in Las Vegas.
Sean Gibbons, president of Manny Pacquiao’s promotional company, believes the hard-hitting Magsayo (24-1, 16 KOs) will become the first opponent to stop Figueroa (23-1-1, 18 KOs) inside the distance. Figueroa, 26, and Magsayo, 27, will fight for the WBC’s interim featherweight title in the main event of a “Showtime Championship Boxing” tripleheader from Toyota Arena in Ontario, California (9 p.m. ET).
“I think you can expect someone getting knocked out, and it’s not gonna be Mark Magsayo,” Gibbons stated during a virtual press conference recently. “Mark brings so much athleticism, power, speed. He’s the full package, and Brandon’s style just complements everything Mark does. So, it’s similar to when you watched Manny Pacquiao, with the speed, the feet, the movement, box around Marquez, Morales, all those guys.
“That’s what you’re gonna see with Mark Magsayo [on] March 4th, just a clinic. Mark is hitting his stride. He’s perfect, where he needs to be. And like you said, he’s fighting a guy that wants to come to fight. I can tell you, it’s just gonna be, you know, it’s gonna be bombs away. And it’s only gonna be one winner, and that’s gonna be Mark Magsayo.”
The Magsayo-Figueroa winner will likely meet Mexico’s Rey Vargas in his subsequent bout. O’Shaquie Foster defeated Vargas in their 12-round fight for the WBC 130-pound championship February 11 at Alamodome in San Antonio, but Vargas still holds the WBC featherweight title.
Vargas (30-1, 22 KOs) won the WBC featherweight crown when he edged Magsayo by split decision in their 12-rounder July 9 at Alamodome. Figueroa will fight for the first time Saturday night since he stopped Phoenix’s Carlos Castro (27-2, 12 KOs) in the sixth round on the Vargas-Magsayo undercard.
Caesars Sportsbook has installed Figueroa as a 3-1 favorite to beat Magsayo. Showtime will air two 10-round bouts before Figueroa faces Magsayo in the 12-round main event.
In the network’s opener, Elijah Garcia (13-0, 11 KOs), a 19-year-old middleweight from Phoenix, will square off against Uruguay’s Amilcar Vidal (16-0, 12 KOs). In its co-feature, former IBF/IBO/WBA 154-pound champion Jarrett Hurd (24-2, 16 KOs), of Accokeek, Maryland, will end almost a 21-month layoff when he meets Mexico’s Armando Resendiz (13-1, 9 KOs).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing