THE featherweight division churns out one other engaging matchup this weekend when world quantity three, Mark Magsayo, takes on the fifth-ranked Brandon Figueroa at Ontario’s Toyota Area in California on Saturday evening (March 4).

Each combatants have some skeletons of their closet. For Magsayo, 24-1 (16), he’s seeking to bounce again from a July defeat to Rey Vargas whereas that is Figueroa’s second outing since he was outpointed by Stephen Fulton, down at super-bantamweight, in November 2021. Like these bouts, this one is over the 12-round distance. For what it’s value, the WBC interim bauble is at stake.

Magsayo’s loss to Vargas got here after proving himself among the many leaders with a January 2022 win over Gary Russell Jnr. Earlier than that, the US-based Filipino knocked out Julio Ceja in 10 wild rounds. In all three contests, Magsayo showcased each his promise and limitations on the highest stage.

The loss to Vargas persuaded the 27-year-old Magsayo to make some tweaks to his coaching staff with Marvin Somodio taking Freddie Roach’s place as head coach. Somodio, as soon as a star of the Philippine beginner boxing staff, had been working underneath Roach since he stop combating after a short skilled profession in 2011. His transfer to develop his personal health club and secure was embraced by Magsayo who leaves Roach on good phrases, citing communication as the principle cause behind the transfer; each Magsayo and Somodio communicate the Filipino language of Bisaya.

“I can perceive extra when coach Marvin explains to me the directions I want,” stated Magsayo, initially from Tagbilaran Metropolis in Bohol, Philippines. “I really feel I’ve extra chemistry with him as we’ve got the identical tradition, come from the identical area too the place we grew up with the identical dialect.”

Figueroa is the two/7 favorite. Although comparatively new to the featherweight division – he stopped the first rate Carlos Castro in six rounds in July in his solely earlier encounter within the weight class – he’s combined with higher firm total. A stress fighter with critical pop in each palms, the 23-1-1 (18) Texan can also be taller by two inches (at 5ft 8ins) and his arms are longer by greater than 4 (his attain is 72.5ins in comparison with Magsayo’s 68). Technically sound from the skin, Figueroa is a grasp of chopping down distance and letting his palms fly up shut.

“I do know precisely what I’m doing after I struggle contained in the pocket,” stated the 26-year-old. “After I’m inside, I’m actually snug and I understand how to work. I can let my physique photographs off from there. We’ve labored on a whole lot of issues although, as a result of I do know Magsayo is a heavy hitter like me.”

It was a tactic that fell narrowly quick towards the good Fulton, however that he gave him such a tricky examination means that Magsayo – in camp since October – goes to search out it troublesome to copy the Philadelphian’s success. And it could possibly be argued that shedding a good one to Fulton stays an admirable effort in a manner that Magsayo’s defeat to Vargas was not. Although the Filipino had his moments towards Vargas, he struggled with the attain and business of the Mexican who, although stable sufficient, all the time has the look of a beatable boxer.

“I realized from my final struggle that I wanted to regulate for a fighter with a attain benefit like Rey Vargas,” Magsayo countered. “I actually thought I gained the struggle, however I respect the judges. I’m coming to make use of my energy and injury and hit Figueroa arduous.”

Mark Magsayo (Mitchell Leff/Getty Photographs)

Magsayo can field cleverly and bang with authority. That aforementioned win over Ceja, the place Magsayo rallied to attain the KO in spherical 10 after falling behind on the playing cards, is testomony to his energy. When Figueroa met Ceja in 2019, he was lucky to get a share of the spoils after 12 gruelling rounds. Price noting that Ceja – like Fulton – discovered Figueroa to be a keen goal and one who can battle to vary his method if his demonic free-swinging type isn’t working. With that in thoughts, Magsayo has extra than simply an out of doors likelihood of victory and may be very a lot a dwell ‘canine.

However the wise cash will doubtless be positioned on Figueroa, notably if these playing witnessed his 2021 destruction of the beforehand undefeated Luis Nery. Figueroa once more had issues that evening however as soon as he’d improved his intention, Nery merely couldn’t cope. Ultimately, essentially the most spiteful of physique punches put Nery down and out in spherical seven. To win, subsequently, Magsayo will must be switched on from the primary bell to the final.

But the eye of Magsayo, priced at 3/1, has been identified to wander. Whether or not that may solely be blamed on communication points with Roach stays to be seen however what Figueroa does so properly is pressure his opponents to struggle again and, within the course of, invite errors. Magsayo, we really feel, simply makes too a lot of them for him to not get punished. Although we shouldn’t rule out Magsayo placing on one thing of a clinic, the sensation is that he’ll find yourself being rescued within the second half of the competition.

On the undercard, former super-welterweight belt-holder Jarrett Hurd, 24-2 (16), will likely be hoping to regain some lengthy misplaced momentum towards Mexico’s Jose Armando Resendiz, 13-1 (9) in a middleweight 10-rounder.

Hurd hasn’t fought since he was outpointed over the identical distance by fringe contender Luis Arias in June 2021. That reverse got here two years after an upset loss to Julian Williams; it looks like an awfully very long time in the past that Hurd was beating high quality males like Erislandy Lara, Austin Trout and Tony Harrison. Now 32, one wonders if we’ll ever see him once more. However he’s certainly too good for Resendiz, who has not fought anybody of observe.

In the identical division, promising Uruguayan prospect, Amilcar Vidal, 16-0 (12), will get a welcome take a look at within the form of 19-year-old Elijah Lorenzo Garcia, 13-0 (11) of Phoenix, Arizona.

THE VERDICT: The winner of Figueroa-Magsayo will turn out to be a key participant within the featherweight ranks.