The left hook was barbaric.
It ended the UK’s Nick Ball’s unbeaten reign in professional boxing and took the world title away from the UK back to the USA.
As the away underdog fighter it would have been difficult surely for Brandon Figueroa to get the away decision.
He wasn’t leaving it in the judges hands — he took matters into his own hands:
The left hook being the judge, jury and executioner there.
The Figueroa vs Ball knockout and win one of the great victories in boxing for an away American fighter ever seen.
What a punch and what a win this weekend. One of the great knockouts of 2026 already.
Figueroa is now a three-weight world champion and many in boxing know of him but for those that don’t — some intel and background on him:
- His nickname originated at age 7–8 during amateur trips to Mexico; groups of girls shouted “Rompecorazones!” (Heartbreaker in Spanish) due to his blue eyes and good looks.
- He’s the younger brother of former WBC lightweight champion Omar Figueroa Jr. (you may have heard of him in boxing), growing up in a boxing family in tiny Weslaco, Texas, near the Mexican border.
- Born to Mexican parents from Tamaulipas, Mexico; Spanish was his first language—he didn’t learn English until third grade.
- His father initially didn’t want him boxing because he was seen as too frail/skinny and “pretty” (with long eyelashes/blue eyes) to get hit.
- He started amateur boxing around age 7, traveling to Mexico for fights, but turned pro in 2015 after a brief amateur career.
- Known for relentless body punching and pressure style, despite his “pretty boy” nickname—he’s a gritty, come-forward fighter.
- At 5’9″ with a 72.5″ reach, he’s tall for featherweight/super bantamweight, helping him dominate inside.
- He’s a Mexican-American fighter who considers his roots more Mexican despite being U.S.-born.
Brandon Figueroa — remember the name.
