Ring Rankings Ignite Debate as Figueroa Lands Below Carrington at 126

Bruce Carrington’s placement ahead of Brandon Figueroa has divided opinion across the featherweight division

Ring Magazine’s latest featherweight rankings triggered debate after Bruce Carrington was listed ahead of Brandon Figueroa despite Figueroa’s knockout of Nick Ball. Many expected Ring Magazine to reshuffle its 126 pound rankings in a major way. Instead, the update placed Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington at #3 and Figueroa at #5, and that order is where the criticism started.

Rafael Espinoza remains ranked No. 1, a placement that has drawn little pushback inside the division. He has taken on live opposition, kept his rounds disciplined, and closed the show when openings came, so the spot reflects rounds banked and opponents handled rather than any overnight rise.

The tension begins beneath him. Carrington moved up after stopping Carlos Castro in the ninth round to win the WBC title. Figueroa, meanwhile, ended Ball’s run with a knockout that many viewed as the most meaningful result in the division this year. One win secured a belt. The other removed a champion who had real momentum.

Ring has long favored undefeated records and sustained positioning near the top when building its rankings. Carrington is 17-0 with a new title in hand, and that type of profile tends to be rewarded under that approach. The system does not always react dramatically to a single upset, even when it shifts public opinion overnight.

Some fans read it through a harsher scoring lens. In their book, beating a reigning champion counts stronger than protecting an unbeaten record against lighter opposition. Nick Ball had already proven his level at 126 with pressure that breaks rhythm and punches that earn respect. Castro brought a respectable record, though his rounds had not come against the same grade of featherweight.

Angelo Leo and Stephen Fulton remain firmly placed based on years of work at a high level. Luis Alberto Lopez still holds a place despite earlier setbacks. Ball drops but stays in the picture. Elevating Figueroa higher would have meant pushing someone established aside, and Ring did not take that step.

That leaves the core question hanging over the division: should rankings reward the freshest major statement, or should they protect fighters who have been hovering near the top for longer? Espinoza’s position is steady, but the order beneath him reflects that difference in ranking approach.

If these names begin facing each other, the sorting will happen in the ring. Until then, the debate will continue, because fans rarely forget who beat a champion when the lights were brightest.