Nick Ball headlines at home in the New Year
A Tall Order - Nick Ball makes fourth defence in February against mandatory challenger
WBA world featherweight champion Nick Ball (23-0-1, 13 KOs) will return to the ring in the New Year against a two-weight world champion.
The unbeaten 28-year-old will make the fourth defence of his WBA belt in his home city of Liverpool against America’s Brandon Figueroa (26-2-1, 19 KOs) at the M&S Bank Arena on Saturday, February 7, live on DAZN.
Ball's long-term promoter Frank Warren announced the news online: "We're delighted to be going back to Merseyside early next year for another signature Nick Ball world title fight at the M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool. Nick always delivers entertaining, hard hitting fights and this one promises to be no different against 2-weight world champion, Brandon Figueroa."
Brandon "The Heartbreaker" Figueroa held the WBA Regular super-bantamweight title from 2019 to 2021, then the Texan won the WBC super-bantamweight title in 2021, followed by the WBC featherweight title from 2024 to 2025.
Since "The Wrecking Ball's" triumph in seizing the WBA belt from Raymond Ford in June 2024 in Riyadh, the 28-year-old has registered successful defences against Ronny Rios, TJ Doheny and, most recently, Sam Goodman, to retain his unbeaten status as champion.
The event, live and exclusive on DAZN, on February 7, will see him in world title action for a third time in his hometown of Liverpool, where he has stopped all other foes - Ronny Rios (TKO 10); TJ Doheny (RTD 10).
Figueroa, from Weslaco, Texas, will be in world title action for a third time.
Figueroa already holds the distinction of being a former two-division world champion, with him winning the WBA world super-bantamweight title with victory over Damien Vazquez in 2020, then adding the WBC championship to his title tally with a stoppage of Luis Nery the following year.
He lost his belts via a majority decision to Stephen Fulton before moving up to featherweight and becoming WBC Interim world champion with a decision verdict over Mark Magsayo in 2023. A second points defeat to Fulton came in February, but Figueroa returned to the win column with victory over Joet Gonzalez in July.
“This is a great fight for Liverpool and an extension of our blockbuster beginning to 2026,” said promoter Frank Warren.
“We are so proud of Nick and what he has accomplished and this is a glamour fight, against a recognised American talent, that he fully deserves to have in his home city.
“Figueroa represents a genuine threat, but we believe Nick has the beating of everyone in the division and he will prove this over time.
“Boxing is booming in Liverpool again and we are thrilled to be at the spearhead of this with Nick as the driving force. He delivers a perfect platform for all our other local contenders to showcase themselves on world title cards.”
