Brandon Figueroa dethrones Nick Ball of WBA featherweight title with stunning final-round KO
Brandon Figueroa upset the odds in away territory to become a three-time world champion.
Figueroa knocked Nick Ball through the ropes in a dramatic final-round, come-from-behind finish to capture the WBA featherweight title on Saturday evening at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.
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Figueroa (27-2-1, 20 KOs), who was fighting outside of the U.S. for the first time, knocked Ball (23-1-1, 13 KOs) down just seconds into Round 12 with a terrific overhand left. The punch landed just as Ball was looking to connect with a left hook of his own.
Ball, who dropped face-down onto the canvas, narrowly rose to his feet at the count of nine. He was badly hurt though, and it just took another combination from Figueroa to send the now-former champion through the ropes. This time, referee Steve Gray saw no need to take up the count.
Ball began the contest as the sharper of the two and consistently beat Figueroa to the punch throughout the early rounds. Although Figueroa employed a high work-rate and was relentless with his pressure, Ball landed many of the more impactful shots and was getting the better of the first half of the bout.
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Figueroa, however, came back impressively in the second half of the contest. Ball began to slow down while Figueroa’s output rose, thanks in large part to the instructions of Figueroa’s trainer, Manny Robles.
“You’ve got four rounds left,” Robles told Figueroa before the start of Round 9. “These are the championship rounds. Keep pushing, keep [pushing] him back. And rip the f***ing body. You want to be a champion? Let’s go, baby.”
Robles, one of the best trainers in boxing, is no stranger to upsets. He was the man in the corner for Andy Ruiz Jr.’s shock win over Anthony Joshua in June 2019.
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Figueroa did as Robles instructed. He forced Ball onto the ropes and was relentless with forward pressure. Figueroa did not reap the rewards of his work immediately, though. Ball still had the speed advantage and was able to land terrific counter-punches as Figueroa edged forward. The left uppercut was Ball’s best punch of the fight. He landed the counter left hook frequently too, and ironically, he was looking to get off a counter hook when Figueroa sensationally knocked him out in Round 12.
Figueroa becomes a three-time champion with the win. He formerly held the WBA (Regular) and WBC super bantamweight titles in 2021, and held the WBC featherweight title from 2024-25. He lost his titles both times to Stephen Fulton.
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Britain’s Ball captured the WBA featherweight title in June 2024 with a controversial split decision victory over Raymond Ford. He had made three defenses of his belt prior to Saturday but lost his unbeaten record to the Texan, Figueroa.
On the undercard, Andrew Cain was dropped twice with body shots by Alejandro Jair Gonzalez in Round 8 of their WBC bantamweight title eliminator. Cain produced a stunning turnaround in the following round, knocking Gonzalez down twice and stopping him in what was an ultra-competitive bout.
Check out complete Figueroa vs. Ball results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned’s play-by-play of the main card.
Main card
WBA featherweight title: Nick Ball def. Brandon Figueroa via 12-round KO | Watch video
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Super flyweight: Jack Turner def. Juan Carlos Martinez Urbina via fourth-round TKO (corner stoppage)
WBC bantamweight title eliminator: Andrew Cain def. Alejandro Jair Gonzalez via ninth-round TKO | Watch video
Super bantamweight: Hassan Ishaq def. Leonardo Baez via third-round TKO | Watch video
Super bantamweight: Brad Strand def. Ruben Lezama Gonzalez via third-round TKO | Watch video
Prelims
Middleweight: Stephen Clarke def. Lewis Howells via eighth-round TKO
Middleweight: Jack Swallow def. Paddy Lacey via points (58-57)
Super featherweight: Sam Norris def. Jack England via points (40-36)
Welterweight: Lucas Szeto-Biswana def. Liam Macmillan via first-round TKO | Watch video
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Super featherweight: William Birchall def. Caine Singh via fourth-round TKO | Watch video
Middleweight: Luke Turner def. Jensen Irving via first-round TKO | Watch video
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
Left hand from Figueroa. DOWN GOES NICK BALL! He gets to his feet but he is badly hurt. Figueroa with a combination. Ball goes through the ropes. And this one is over! WOW!
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Darshan Desai
Two to go in this one, and on Uncrowned’s card, Figueroa needs a knockout.
Terrific left uppercut from the champion to open the penultimate frame. Figueroa is finding some openings on the inside. He is letting his hands flow on the inside. Ball finds a home for left hooks around the guard. Figueroa’s defense is constantly letting him down. Figueroa walks into a right-hand to left hook two-piece. Figueroa’s aggression is ineffective, with the sharper, stronger punches from Ball, for me, the better work. Left hook from Ball to end the penultimate stanza.
10-9 Ball, 107-102 Ball
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Darshan Desai
DAZN has Ball 1 point up, talkSPORT has Figueroa 1 point up, while Uncrowned has it wider for Ball.
Figueroa has begun Round 10, the busier of the two. Figueroa is driving Ball back. Ball is landing counter hooks, though. Figueroa can’t get out of the way of those wide shots. Nice combination-punching from Figueroa. Brilliant left uppercut to right-hand two-piece counter from Ball. Stiff jab from Ball. Chopping left hand connects for the challenger to end the tenth.
10-9 Ball, 97-93 Ball
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Darshan Desai
The ninth looks to be the best of the fight for Figueroa. He is forcing Ball backward with constant pressure. Body shots are pouring in from the American and hooks are meeting Ball’s jab. Uppercuts are still connecting for Ball but Figueroa is now meeting him with left hands.
10-9 Figueroa, 87-84 Ball
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Darshan Desai
A trio of jabs gets through from Figueroa. Left hook connects for Ball. Figueroa’s output has increased to begin this frame and he is starting to have some success. There’s no power in these, though, and they are not troubling Ball at all. Some straight punches get through for Figueroa. Nice uppercut lands for Ball. Figueroa catches Ball’s jab and lands a swift right hook counter. Uppercut from Ball. Figueroa, with a pair of hooks, drives Ball backward.
10-9 Figueroa, 78-74 Ball
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Darshan Desai
Into the second half of the fight and Figueroa is going to need a massive second half to win this one.
Hard left hands are finding a home for Ball early in the session. Terrific left uppercut connects. Ball is walking Figueroa onto his jab consistently. Figueroa gets Ball along the ropes and lets his hands go but nothing is really landing clean. Terrific counter-punching from Ball. Figueroa cannot close the distance without some power shots. One-twos raining in from the champ. Figueroa hammers in a body shot.
10-9 Ball, 69-64 Ball
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Darshan Desai
Figueroa is back in the orthodox stance. Good combination on the inside. Ball is walking Figueroa onto left hooks, and now a combination lands on the inside. Figueroa should be doing better on the outside, but he is losing to Ball there. Body shot from Figueroa. They are exchanging in the final minute. Ball is landing the cleaner, harder punches.
10-9 Ball, 59-55 Ball
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Darshan Desai
Two power shots land up close for Ball to begin the fifth frame. Nice selection of rights from Ball. Figueroa is right in his face, though. A pair of lefts score for Ball. Figueroa continues to fight at a high pace, but the power shots and telling punches seem to be coming from Ball. They combine for an exciting exchange to begin the final minute. Blood is pouring out of Ball’s nose. Terrific right hand from Ball. Right hook from Figueroa is the response.
10-9 Ball, 49-46 Ball
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Darshan Desai
It should be 3-0 Ball through three rounds. Figueroa is punching with Ball to begin Round 4. Nice left hand from Figueroa connects. Left hook from Ball lands. Good work on the inside from both. Figueroa’s hands are a little slower and Ball is beating him to the punch at times. Figueroa is working the body and gets warned for a low-blow. Nice combination on the inside for Figueroa. Ball drives him back with a right hand. A stiff jab from Ball knocks back the head of Ball and a left hook. Figueroa flurries to the body as Ball was on the ropes. A pair of lefts land for the challenger. It was his best round of the fight.
10-9 Figueroa, 39-37 Ball
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Darshan Desai
Left hand connects for Ball early, followed by a duo of power shots. Figueroa is swinging with the right hook on the inside. He is outworking Ball but Ball is landing the harder punches. Nice body shot from the challenger and now he flurries downstairs. Ball is finding angles to land his left hand consistently.
10-9 Ball, 30-27 Ball
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Darshan Desai
The first was a good one for Ball. And he begins Round 2 with a left uppercut — the same shot he landed big in the opener. Figueroa takes it and continues to push Ball backward. Body shot connects for the American. Nice duo of hooks from Ball. Figueroa responds and then a right hand from Ball. Ball is going first and third. Ball roughing Figueroa on the inside. Combination from Ball at short distance. Figueroa attacks the body and an uppercut from Ball is the response.
10-9 Ball, 20-18 Ball
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Darshan Desai
Here we go! Can Brandon Figueroa pull off the upset on away territory? It’s a southpaw-orthodox battle as the much taller Figueroa, the left-hander, will look to meet Ball head-on. Left hands were partially connected for both men early. Nice uppercut from Ball and Figueroa has taken a big shot early. Figueroa neglects his physical advantages and looks to fight Ball on the inside. Right to the body and a hook upstairs from Ball. Good right hand from Figueroa now at the end of the second minute.
10-9 Ball
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Darshan Desai
Nick Ball defends his WBA featherweight world title against Brandon Figueroa.
Ball (23-0-1, 13 KOs) won the title in June 2024 with a controversial split decision victory over Raymond Ford. He has since made three successful defenses of the belt.
Figueroa (26-2-1, 19 KOs) is a two-division world champion, winning world titles at super bantamweight and featherweight. Figueroa returned from a second defeat to Stephen Fulton to win a decision over Joet Gonzalez this past July.
Nick Ball (second left) and Brandon Figueroa face off during a weigh-in at BOXPARK Liverpool. Picture date: Friday February 6, 2026. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
(Peter Byrne – PA Images via Getty Images)
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Darshan Desai
That means that we are just seconds away from the main event ring walks.
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Darshan Desai
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Darshan Desai
Martinez will not get off the stool for the beginning of Round 4!
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Darshan Desai
Nice combination from Turner at the end of the third round. It had been a quiet frame until then, but Martinez was shaken up by an attack. The Nicaraguan now loses a point for holding. Martinez was rocked again by a right hand.
Meanwhile, Turner has damage below the left eye. His face has marked up in previous contests as well.
10-9 Turner, 30-26 Turner
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Darshan Desai
Both are trading power shots early in Round 2. Turner is happy to take a punch to land one of his own, aware of how hard he can punch. Martinez is waiting for Turner to get into range and then holding. That sequence has happened a couple of times. Turner is unable to establish his distance. Short left hook scores for Turner late in Round 2.
10-9 Turner, 20-17 Turner
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Darshan Desai
A sharp and accurate jab from Turner to begin the opener. Turner is warned for an early low-blow. Heavy left hand connects for Turner as both were letting punches go. Turner is driving Martinez backward with power jabs. Body shot scores for Turner, while Martinez returned fire with a right hand. A couple of shots upstairs from Martinez follows. Turner lands a pair of jabs, then a right hand to the body, followed by a hook upstairs — and DOWN goes Martinez in the final few seconds of Round 1.
10-8 Turner
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