Nick Ball vs Brandon Figueroa: Scrappy Styles Matchup in Liverpool

All-action fighters Nick Ball and Brandon Figueora tussle this Saturday. On paper, this matchup should produce plenty of back-and-forth action for the fans watching at home and at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.

The elephant in the room revolves around Brandon Figueroa’s current status in the sport. This boxing podcaster doesn’t mean his star status or if he’s a legit guy. The question is, how much does Brandon have left to give us fans? The main event will be live-streamed on DAZN.

After years of punishment, it’s just a matter of time until a boxer falls off the cliff for eternity. Not to sound the doomsday alarm, it’s just the reality. Nick Ball is a come-forward brawler who loves to engage similarly to his upcoming opponent. Someday, we will have to ask the same question for Ball. Brandon has just two losses in his last 8 outings, both at the hands of Stephen Fulton. Those 6 wins over solid names like Carlos Castro, Mark Magsayo, and Joet Gonzalez, with his best victory versus Luis Nery overall. His first loss to Fulton was very close and could’ve gone his way.

Many boxing fans and media alike thought Joet Gonzalez did enough to earn the nod over Figueroa. Joet got off to a great start, but credit must go to Brandon for closing stronger. To be fair, lots of folks (including myself) favored Figueroa over Fulton heading into their rematch. The way Fulton fought post Inoue, it appeared he was past his prime. Not all that different than Brandon coming off his two recent performances. The style of this fight could bring out the best in him, or, given the number of punches thrown, go very bad. It should be noted that Fig threw over 1000 punches last time out.

Ball burst on the scene by defeating Isaac Dogboe back in November 2023. Ball added to the resume with a draw against Rey Vargas, wins over Raymond Ford, and Sam Goodman has his career on an upward trajectory. The Vargas draw will be used as an example of height disparity, but it falls short due to how Vargas approaches a fight. This longtime boxing junkie does believe Ford beat Ball, but not by a wide margin.

Ball is a short guy who uses a lack of height to his advantage. Uppercuts will be something to keep an eye on from Ball. Brandon has a habit, like his brother Omar, of leaning inward on the inside with his head down. We can’t assume because Figueroa has 7 inches of height on Ball that he will use it properly at range. That said, keeping Nick occupied with his jab would create space and frustrate the ever-charging Ball. Whether Brandon will be disciplined enough to use his jab is another story.
This good old fashion TV scrap will feature punches and bunches. Which means whoever lands the cleaner, and more powerful shots will win. Answering back will be key as well. With so many punches flying, the fighter who never gives an inch and always fires back before the end of the round will go a long way in deciding the winner. Ball is a clear favorite with Figueroa, depending on what he has left slated as a live dog.

Brandon’s money line can be found around +250 all the way up to +300. Figueroa by dec is +520 and by KO is +840. Whether you like Fig or have an interest in hedging, the value exists. Ball by decision is –128 and +226 by stoppage. Ball by decision is the best bet. However, if Brandon is on the downslide, a TKO win for Ball is on the table. Especially in the UK, as they tend to stop bouts quicker compared to Mexico or America.

My Official Prediction is Nick Ball by decision.

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Written by Chris Carlson Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, I-Heart Radio, The Grueling Truth Sports Network, Amazon Podcasts, Google Podcasts & More! Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio