Brandon Figueroa vs. Mark Magsayo fight prediction, undercard, odds, start time, preview, Showtime Boxing

2023 has already been an amazing year for fighting in the boxing ring. Brandon Figueroa believes he will join the fast-growing list of Fight of the Year contenders on Saturday when he takes on Mark Magsio for the interim WBC featherweight title.Show, 9:00 pm ET).

“This could be another Fight of the Year candidate,” Figueroa said at a pre-fight press conference. “I am ready to demonstrate my skills. The fans love it when I fight because they know it’s never boring. I want to fight the best of the best and continue to prove to everyone that I belong to this level.”

His assessment is not accurate. Figueroa is able to create exciting action by working hard blitzes at close range and constantly putting pressure on opponents. This style helped Figueroa get through half of one of the best fights of 2021, a thrilling fight with Stephen Fulton Jr that cost Figueroa the championship at 122 pounds.

Can’t get enough of boxing and MMA? Get the latest martial arts news from two of the best in the business. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and detailed news.

After losing a decision to Fulton, Figueroa moved up to featherweight with a sixth-round TKO victory over Carlos Castro in July 2022. WBC champion Rey Vargas, who will return to featherweight after failing to win the vacant heavyweight title in February.

On the way to Figueroa is another solid militant in Magsayo.

Magsio intends to use the victory over Figueroa to rematch with Vargas. The pair first met in July 2022 when Vargas made a split decision and won the WBC belt one fight later after Magsayo won it by majority over Gary Russell Jr.

The loss to Vargas was the first time Magsaio had known defeat as a pro. He did not compete after losing the title.

Like Figueroa, Magsaio predicts an intense battle on Saturday.

“The fans will be the winner of this fight,” Magsio said at a media event. “I will come back stronger than ever. I have been preparing for this fight since October and it was great. I spent many rounds in sparring. It will be a great fight.”

The undercard features the return of former junior middleweight champion Jarrett Hurd. The Maryland native was out of action following a June 2021 loss, his second loss in three fights, as he looks to rebuild in a new weight class. Hurd has only fought once a year since 2018 and is hopeful that 2023 could be the start of a new winning streak when he faces Armando Resendiz.

Let’s take a look at the rest of the map with the latest odds from Caesars Sportsbook before moving on to the prediction and choosing the main event.

Figueroa vs. Magsayo battle card, odds

Darling	outsider	Weight category
Bandon Figueroa -300	Mark Magsio +240	interim WBC featherweight title
Jarrett Hurd -470	Armando Resendiz +360	average weight
Elijah Garcia-130	Amilcar Vidal +110	average weight

Forecast

Magsio has heavy hands and can certainly land enough precision to knock out most opponents. However, Figueroa’s chin has been otherworldly in his career and even at the higher weight, he is expected to still be able to absorb damage and work in the pocket where he does his best work.

Figueroa is also a bigger, longer man, which can come in handy if he chooses to force periods of action at mid-range before pushing forward into periods of phone booth brawls. Magsio has occasionally fought fighters who are a little lower level than Figueroa, while Figueroa has gone toe-to-toe with an extremely talented fighter like Fulton.

Look out for Figueroa, who takes his time to break Magsaio before forcing him into a late stoppage thanks to near-constant body work and power punches while absorbing Magsaio’s backfire. Pick: Brandon Figueroa via TKO9