Brandon Figueroa vs. Mark Magsayo fight prediction, undercard, odds, preview, start time, Showtime Boxing

2023 has already been a great year for action fights inside the boxing ring. Brandon Figueroa looks set to add to the fast-growing list of Fight of the Year contenders on Saturday when he beats Mark Magsayo for the WBC interim featherweight championship (Showtime, 9pm ET).

“This could be another contender for fight of the year,” Figueroa said at a pre-fight media day. “I’m ready to show my skills. The fans like me when I fight because they know I’m never tired.

His assessment is not inaccurate. Figueroa is able to produce exciting action, working in hard blitzes on the inside and constantly pressuring opponents. That style helped Figueroa produce one half of one of the best fights of 2021, an exciting battle with Stephen Fulton Jr. which cost Figueroa his 122-pound championship.

After a narrow decision loss to Fulton, Figueroa made the move up to featherweight, picking up a sixth-round TKO over Carlos Castro in July 2022. Now, he’s looking to establish himself as a newcomer to the division and set up a showdown with WBC Champion Rey Vargas, who returns to featherweight after a failed bid to win the vacant featherweight title in February.

Standing in Figueroa’s way is another strong action hero in Magsayo.

Magsayo is aiming for a win over Figueroa to force a rematch with Vargas. The pair first met in July 2022, with Vargas taking a split decision and winning the WBC belt one fight after defeating Magsayo by majority decision over Gary Russell Jr.

The loss to Vargas was the first time Magsayo had beaten him as a professional. He has not competed since losing the title.

Just like Figueroa, Magsayo is expecting an action-packed battle on Saturday.

“The winner of this fight is the fans,” Magsayo said at a media event. “I’m coming back stronger than ever. I have been training since October for this fight and it has been good. I have been doing a lot of rounds in sparring. This is going to be a big fight.”

Figueroa vs Magsayo fight card, weird

Prediction

Magsayo has heavy hands and can certainly connect cleanly enough to knock down most men. Figueroa’s chin has been otherworldly in his career, though, and even at a higher weight, he’s expected to still be able to absorb damage and work in the pocket where he does the most work. his best

Figueroa is also the bigger and longer guy, which could come in handy if he decides to force periods of mid-range action before moving on to bouts of phone booth brawling. Magsayo has struggled at times with fighters of a slightly lower quality than Figueroa while Figueroa has gone to the bottom of a very talented fighter like Fulton.

Look for Figueroa to take his time breaking Magsayo down before taking a late stoppage via near-constant bodywork and power shots while absorbing some return fire from Magsayo in the back. Pick: Brandon Figueroa via TKO9