Figueroa Says Corner Push Sparked 12th-Round KO of Nick Ball

Brandon Figueroa said the message from his corner before the final round was simple. Give it more.

The newly crowned WBA featherweight champion revealed after his 12th-round knockout of Nick Ball that trainer Manny Robles urged him to empty the tank heading into the final frame, advice that immediately paid off.

“Give It More” Before the Final Round

“He told me, ‘Go out there and give it more, kid,’” Figueroa said in a post-fight interview with talkSport Boxing. “And I said, ‘Alright, I’m going to give it my all.’ And I caught him with that short left hook, and I hurt him.”

Figueroa went on to drop Nick Ball twice in the round before the referee waved the fight off, sealing a come-from-behind knockout victory and the WBA featherweight title at M&S Bank Arena.

While many observers had the fight close entering the final round, Figueroa believed he had been in control throughout, even as Ball had moments during the middle portion of the bout.

“I felt like I was dominant the whole fight,” Figueroa said. “He was coming back in the middle rounds, but then I finished strong.”

Figueroa’s performance stood out for the way he met Ball on the inside, choosing to trade in close rather than box from range. The pressure and volume that have defined his career at lower weights followed him up to featherweight, where he gradually wore Ball down over twelve demanding rounds.

Preparation, Figueroa said, made the difference late.

“We were throwing over 1,000 punches, sparring 12, 14 rounds in the gym against tough opponents,” he said. “That’s the work we were putting in for a moment like this.”

With the title now in his possession, Figueroa made it clear he is not looking to slow things down. Asked about what comes next, he pointed directly at the rest of the division.

“I want the best of the best,” Figueroa said. “Carrington, all the champions at 126. Let’s get it, baby.”

The finish gave Figueroa his first win as a featherweight champion and capped a night where listening to his corner at exactly the right moment changed everything.