PHILADELPHIA – January 22, 2025 – Former unified champion Stephen Fulton Jr. previewed his much anticipated rematch against WBC Featherweight World Champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa and made it clear that he won’t be “pushed around” when they meet in the co-main event of a PBC Pay-Per-View event on Prime Video Saturday, February 1 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“He’s not gonna be able to push me around,” said Fulton, who defeated Figueroa by majority decision to unify 122-pound titles in November 2021. “He’s gonna try, but I’m strong. A lot of people don’t realize that. Being at a higher weight class for the rematch is gonna help both of us.”
Their first clash was one of 2021’s most memorable fights, with Figueroa pushing forward throughout the action, while Fulton countered beautifully again and again to earn two score cards of 116-112, versus one score of 114-114. Despite earning the signature victory, Fulton believes that he has much room for improvement heading into the rematch.
“I give myself a B- for the first fight,” said Fulton. “I was actually tired after the second round. I had to thug it out that fight. That’s what people don’t understand. The weight was tough for me. People say it’s an excuse, but they don’t know how our bodies respond. I didn’t make weight the proper way. I had to really bite down and dig deep.”
Two young stars who had extended runs at 122-pounds, Fulton and Figueroa was a matchup that brewed to a violent crescendo when they finally met in the ring, with their two styles making for memorable action for 12 rounds. While Fulton anticipated the come forward style of Figueroa, he believes that he proved people wrong by standing toe-to-toe to win the first bout.
“We were familiar with each other before the first fight because we were on a collision course for a while,” said Fulton. “He did a good job in the first fight because he fought his fight. He knows how to fight the way he fights. And I did an amazing job making the adjustments that I had to make. He fought exactly how I expected him to fight. He did well at what he does. He’s a brawler and I’m a boxer. People didn’t expect me to stand there, but I showed that I can do everything. That made it exciting.”
Heading into the rematch, Fulton has added to his corner the renowned trainer Derek “Bozy” Ennis. On the other side of the ring, Fulton believes that Figueroa is working on presenting a more well-rounded attack to his arsenal heading into the rematch.
“Having Bozy will add to my game,” said Fulton. “He has a different eye for things. I have a really strong corner and it’s going to help me out. I can see that Figueroa is trying to work on some new things, like his head movement and trying to box a little bit more.”
In the ring after the first fight, Figueroa vehemently expressed his displeasure with the judges’ decision, asking Fulton repeatedly if he “really thought he won the fight?” Tensions flared, setting the stage for a much-debated rematch. Despite that heated moment, Fulton remains steadfast that his motivation for the rematch is the WBC belt that Figueroa now holds and made clear what he needs to do to wrest that belt away.
“I want that belt. That’s why the rematch happened,” said Fulton. “I just have to listen to my corner and do what they tell me to do. I’m gonna trust in my defense and believe in myself.”
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ABOUT BENAVIDEZ VS. MORRELL
Benavidez vs. Morrell will see Interim WBC Light Heavyweight Champion David “El Monstro” Benavidez and WBA Light Heavyweight Champion David Morrell Jr. meet in a battle of unbeatens that pits two of the sport’s most exciting fighters against each other in the primes of their careers headlining a PBC Pay-Per-View event on Prime Video taking place Saturday, Feb. 1 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The co-main event will see WBC Featherweight World Champion Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa defend his title against former unified world champion Stephen Fulton Jr. in a rematch of one of 2021’s best fights.
The pay-per-view will also feature Mexican star and former world champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz facing the hard-charging contender Angel Fierro in an all-Mexican super lightweight duel, plus rising Mexican star Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. battles former unified champion Jeison Rosario in a 10-round middleweight fight that opens the pay-per-view at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Preceding the pay-per-view, Prime Video will stream a two-fight prelims card at 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT that will be available via free access to all fans, regardless of Prime membership or purchase of the PPV card.
The streaming presentation will feature undefeated Argentine Olympian Mirco Cuello taking on Mexican contender Christian Olivo in a 10-round featherweight matchup, plus WBA No. 1-ranked middleweight contender Yoenli Feliciano Hernandez stepping in against all-action contender Angel Ruiz in a 10-round duel that opens up the live stream.
Tickets for the live event are on sale now through AXS.com.
In addition to the PPV being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets as well as PPV.com.
For more information visit www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #BenavidezMorrell, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, on Instagram @PremierBoxing or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions
