Brandon Figueroa of Weslaco, Texas and Mark Magsayo of Tagbilaran City, Philippines square off in the main event at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California on Saturday, March 4. Former world champions battle it out for the vacant interim WBC featherweight title. Ahead of their 12-round bout live on Showtime, the fighters hosted a virtual press conference. Check out below what they had to say.
Both, Figueroa and Magsayo are looking to move a step closer to regaining championship status by capturing the interim strap. Former WBC super bantamweight champion Figueroa (22-1-1, 17 KOs) made his 126-pound debut last July in San Antonio, Texas where he stopped Carlos Castro in the sixth round, to rebound from the defeat suffered in the 122-pound championship unification with Stephen Fulton in November 2021. Magsayo (24-1, 16 KOs) was in action on the same night at Alamodome, where he lost the WBC featherweight title by split decision against Rey Vargas.
Tickets for the event can be purchased through Vivid Seats, StubHub and TicketNetwork.
Brandon Figueroa: I have what it takes to take this fight right to Magsayo and show the world that I have the same power at featherweight
“[Mark] Magsayo is an amazing fighter and I expect a lot from him. I’ve been in Las Vegas for over a month and things are going great. Magsayo is a strong fighter, but I’m a strong fighter as well. I have what it takes to take this fight right to him and show the world that I have the same power at featherweight.
“Everyone knows that I come to fight. Come March 4, everyone is going to see what kind of fighter I am at 126-pounds.
“I know exactly what I’m doing when I fight inside the pocket. When I’m inside, I’m really comfortable and I know how to work. I can let my body shots off from there. We’ve worked on a lot of things though, because I know Magsayo is a heavy hitter like me.
“As fans expected from Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, this is going to be an amazing fight. We both have the heart of a lion and we’re both trying to become champions again. I won’t let anyone get in my way. I’m coming out of the ring as a champion.
“I’ve been in there with a lot of world champions and great fighters. We both fought Julio Ceja, and only Magsayo got knocked down. I was able to handle the power. He didn’t make me buckle, and he weighed in four pounds heavier than I did.
“This could be another Fight of the Year candidate. I’m ready to show off my skills. The fans love when I fight because they know it’s never boring. I want to fight the best of the best and keep proving to everyone that I belong at this level.
“We’ve been focused on Magsayo and we’ve seen that he was frustrated and impatient against Rey Vargas. We’re learning from it and preparing to take advantage of it.
“People have been saying they’re going to knock me out since the start of my career. They can say what they want about my style, but I’m still here. And I’m not here by the skin of my teeth. I work hard. Come fight night, he’ll find out if I’m easy to knock out or not.
“I expected Stephen Fulton Jr., to not take the rematch with me. My job is to go out there and give a spectacular fight for the fans. I do what I do best, and that’s fight. I do feel like the rematch will happen in the future, it’s just a matter of time.”
Mark Magsayo: The winner of this fight is going to be the fans, because I’m coming back stronger than ever
“The winner of this fight is going to be the fans. I’m coming back stronger than ever.
“I’ve been training since October for this fight and it’s been great. I’ve been doing a lot of rounds in sparring. This is going to be a great fight.
“I learned from my last fight that I needed to adjust for a fighter with a reach advantage like Rey Vargas. I really thought I won the fight, but I respect the judges. I’m coming to use my power and damage and hit Figueroa hard.
“I want to thank Freddie Roach for everything I learned from him. Now having Marvin Somodio as my trainer. He is a great trainer and we understand each other.
“I guarantee that this is going to be a great fight. [Brandon] Figueroa is strong and always comes forward. But I’m strong too and that’s going to make this fight one you don’t want to miss.
“If I get the opportunity to fight Vargas again, and I win on March 4, I’ll be ready. If he wants to come back down in weight, I’ll jump at the opportunity to fight him.
“I’m hungrier than ever. I’ve always been hungry, but I know that I need to win this fight. This is my chance to become a champion again.
“It’s going to be a great night. Southern California has amazing fight fans. We’re both exciting fighters and everyone knows that they’re going to want to be at the edge of their seats for this one.
“I’ve been smarter in training and paying more attention to the details. I’m going to add more defense and make sure that I’m always training smartly. I almost won that last fight, so there are just small adjustments that needed to be made.
“I’ve come back stronger for this fight. I learned a lot from my last fight. I’m very thankful to have an opportunity like this to show everyone that I’m a better fighter now.”
In the co-main event, Jarrett Hurd (24-2, 16 KOs) of Accokeek, Maryland faces Jose Armando Resendiz (13-1, 9 KOs) of Nayarit, Mexico in a ten-rounder at middleweight. Kicking off the action, Montevideo, Uruguay-born Amilcar Vidal (16-0, 12 KOs) meets Elijah Lorenzo Garcia (13-0, 11 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona also in a ten-rounder at middleweight.
In Australia, Figueroa vs Magsayo airs live on Sunday, March 5.
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