Former world champion and all-action fan-favorite Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa expects to showcase his power and speed when he moves up in weight and makes his 126-pound debut against Carlos Castro in a WBC featherweight title eliminator that serves as the co-main event live on Showtime Saturday, July 9 from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

“We’re looking to make a statement on July 9,” said Figueroa. “Me not worrying about squeezing to make 122 pounds and really killing myself at the end of camp just makes me more relaxed mentally. I feel fresher heading into this fight and I just can’t wait to showcase that.

“I’m going to be a lot stronger and more explosive. If people were impressed with my conditioning at 122, just imagine what it’s going to be like at 126. Everyone is going to see a better version of myself.”

After winning the WBC super bantamweight world championship by becoming the first person to defeat Luis Nery in May 2021, Figueroa followed that fight up with a thrilling 122-pound unification clash against Stephen Fulton Jr. last November on Showtime that was recognized as one of the best fights of the year. Although Figueroa lost a narrow majority decision in a fight that warranted a rematch, he stuck with his decision to move up in weight.

“The decision to move up in weight had been made way before the Fulton fight,” said Figueroa. “That has been in the works for a long time. We were just waiting for the right opportunity to move up. After the Fulton fight, I knew that I was going to move up no matter what happened in that fight.”

Figueroa still has his sights on a rematch with Fulton and says that it will be better for all involved when it happens at featherweight.

“I believe it will be better for both of us to do the rematch at 126 pounds,” said Figueroa. “The Fulton rematch is something that has to happen. It has to happen for the fans, for me and Fulton, and to give everyone another ‘Fight of the Year’.”

Although he was disappointed in the judges’ ruling in that memorable fight, Figueroa has been able to take positives from the experience and plans to use those improvements on July 9 and going forward.

“I learned a lot from the Fulton fight and grew a lot because of it,” said Figueroa. “I took the good from the bad and kept moving on. We went back to the drawing board and saw some things that we did like from that fight and saw places where we could improve. I’ve been working on adapting. I’ve learned to be a little more patient, more technical, to use my distance better and capitalize on my shots.”

For this fight, the Weslaco, Texas native has held his training camp in San Antonio, where he’s been able to receive sparring from fighters including super flyweight world champion Joshua Franco. He has also been training alongside his brother, former world champion Omar Figueroa Jr., a setup that has added to his motivation in camp.

“This is something that I’ve been dreaming of since I was a kid,” said Figueroa. “We’ve trained together in California before but being back closer to home and working alongside my brother is amazing. It’s us against the world. It’s a beautiful opportunity for our family to get even closer and be a unit together. This has been my favorite training camp so far.”

In his featherweight debut, Figueroa will take on the experienced Castro, who was unbeaten in his first 27 pro fights before dropping a split-decision to Luis Nery in February. Castro’s journey to fight night mirrors Figueroa’s in that they’re both coming off their first career defeats and are moving up in weight. For Figueroa, he believes this will only add to the excitement for everyone watching.

“Castro is a great fighter,” said Figueroa. “He’s patient and very technical. There are some things that I have to do to take that away from him and put the pressure on him, like I do so well. I know he’s going to come to fight with a lot to prove. We’re both coming off fresh losses and moving up in weight, so I know we’re stepping into that ring to make a statement.”

With a victory on July 9, Figueroa can move himself into a position to challenge the winner of the night’s main event between unbeaten WBC Featherweight World Champion Mark Magsayo and undefeated former world champion Rey Vargas. Figueroa offered up his thoughts on that fight and promised that no matter who he eventually faces, he’ll be ready to deliver another of his signature fan-friendly performances.

“The main event is going to be a good, close fight,” said Figueroa. “It just comes down to who’s smarter. If Magsayo puts the right pressure on, he can win. If Vargas keeps his distance well and boxes him, I feel like Vargas will win. It’s a matter of who the smarter fighter is and who adapts better in the ring.

“I think me fighting whoever wins the main event would be a very exciting fight. It would be fireworks. Every time I’m in the mix, I come to fight at 110%. I don’t back down. With either fighter, it would be an amazing night of boxing.”