‘He’s Not Gonna Push Me Around’: Stephen Fulton’s Explosive Rematch Promise

The featherweight division looks set for an exciting 2025, with plenty of intriguing matchups in the pipeline. One bout is set to take place on February 1 with Stephen Fulton Jr. (22-1, 8 KOs) challenging WBC Featherweight World Champion Brandon Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs) on the David Benavidez vs. David Morrell undercard at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It will be a rematch of their 2021 clash which Fulton won by majority decision. Ahead of this intriguing rematch, “Cool Boy Steph” has spoken about the upcoming PBC Pay-Per-View event on Prime Video and made a clear promise.

*All quotes below are from a PBC press release.

Stephen Fulton Next Fight: Figueroa Rematch

Fulton Makes Promise

Former unified champion Stephen Fulton Jr. suffered his only career defeat against Naoya Inoue and returned to action, winning a razor-close decision win against Carlos Castro.

Looking ahead to Feb 1, Fulton was clear in his message: “He’s not gonna be able to push me around,” said Fulton, who defeated Figueroa by majority decision to unify 122-pound titles in November 2021. “He’s gonna try, but I’m strong. A lot of people don’t realize that. Being at a higher weight class for the rematch is gonna help both of us,” said Fulton.

Stephen Fulton Next Fight: Reliving the First Fight

Their first fight saw a clash of styles and tactics with the well-timed counterpunching of Fulton proving enough to defeat the aggressive style of Figueroa. Looking ahead to the rematch, the Philadelphia native said: “I give myself a B- for the first fight.” He added: “I was actually tired after the second round. I had to thug it out that fight. That’s what people don’t understand. The weight was tough for me. People say it’s an excuse, but they don’t know how our bodies respond. I didn’t make weight the proper way. I had to really bite down and dig deep.”

Fulton added: “He did a good job in the first fight because he fought his fight. He knows how to fight the way he fights. And I did an amazing job making the adjustments that I had to make. He fought exactly how I expected him to fight. He did well at what he does. He’s a brawler and I’m a boxer. People didn’t expect me to stand there, but I showed that I cando everything. That made it exciting.”

Stephen Fulton Next Fight: Corner Changes

Fulton has made a significant change to his corner with Derek “Bozy” Ennis joining the team. Fulton said regarding the new addition: “Having Bozy will add to my game,” said Fulton. “He has a different eye for things. I have a really strongcorner and it’s going to help me out. I can see that Figueroa is trying to work on some new things, like his head movement and trying to box a little bit more.”

This is a huge fight for both. Figueroa will be eager to gain revenge and retain his title, while Fulton has plenty to prove following his unconvincing win over Castro.

“I want that belt. That’s why the rematch happened,” said Fulton. “I just have to listen to my corner and do what they tell me to do. I’m gonna trust in my defense and believe in myself.”