Luis Nery Defends Super Bantamweight Title vs. Brandon Figueroa in Battle of Undefeated Fighters

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Two undefeated boxers will meet in the ring this Saturday in Carson, California, as WBC super bantamweight champion Luis Nery takes on challenger Brandon Figueroa at Dignity Health Sports Park.

Nery Figueroa odds
Luis Nery (left) will defend his super bantamweight title against Brandon Figueroa (right) on Saturday night in California. (Image: Esther Lin/Showtime)

Nery won the vacant title by beating Aaron Alameda in September.

Nery Looks to Regain Knockout Swagger at 122

That was Nery’s first fight at 122 pounds, after spending most of his career at bantamweight (118 pounds).

Heading into that fight, Nery (31-0, 24 KOs) had scored 11 straight knockouts. After moving up in class, he instead won via unanimous decision. That result has led to some questions over how Nery’s power might translate at super bantamweight going forward. Nery plans on showing that he has plenty of knockout power at 122 pounds.

“In the ring, I’m going for the finish,” Nery told reporters ahead of the fight. “I think people got carried away about my performance from my last fight. You’re going to see that my power translates on Saturday. Brandon is going to be the first person to see how my power really translates to super bantamweight.”

Figueroa (21-0-1, 16 KOs) holds the WBA super bantamweight title. The only blemish on his record is a split decision draw against Julio Ceja in 2019. Yet Figueroa comes into the fight as a significant underdog. FanDuel Sportsbook rates Nery as a -350 favorite, while Figueroa enters as a +250 pick to pull off the upset.

Figueroa acknowledges the perception that this is Nery’s fight to lose. But he says that he’s going to present a bigger challenge than anyone expects on Saturday.

“Nery is going to learn a lot about me on Saturday night,” Figueroa told reporters. “My size will definitely help me. I feel like he hasn’t fought a guy this big, this strong, and he’s going to find out on Saturday night. I’ve trained tremendously for this fight. I have the best conditioning in the 122-pound division. My volume output speaks for itself and I feel like a lot of people underestimate me. After Saturday night, they won’t.”

Oddsmakers Expect Early Finish

Bookmakers think that both fighters have the potential to flash their power on Saturday. Nery comes in as a +120 pick to win by knockout or TKO, with Figueroa at +500 to get a stoppage. FanDuel sees an early finish as likely, offering -154 on the fight to not go the distance.

Both fighters see Saturday’s fight as a potential legacy building bout, which could improve the odds of a dramatic finish.

Nery vs. Figueroa Odds (via FanDuel Sportsbook)
Luis Nery: -350 Brandon Figueroa: +250
Method of Victory
Nery by KO/TKO: +120 Figueroa by KO/TKO: +500
Nery by Decision: +200 Figueroa by Decision: +550
Draw: +2000

“I’m ready to fight anybody that will improve my legacy,” Nery said. “I want to keep winning and moving up divisions and putting together a resume that matches up with all of the legendary Mexican fighters.”

Figueroa says the stylistic matchup should make Saturday’s bout one to remember.

“I feel like this is a fight that could be Fight of the Year,” Figueroa told reporters. “I know everything is on the line and I’m going to go out there and make sure I give it my all. If I do that, it’s going to be a great fight.”

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