Mark Magsayo vows to be better in upcoming fight with Figueroa

Former WBC world featherweight champion Mark Magsayo vows to deliver a better performance when he takes on Brandon Figueroa for the WBC interim featherweight title on April 4 at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.

Magsayo, 24-1 with 16 knockouts as a prizefighter, is coming off his first defeat with a unanimous decision loss against Rey Vargas last July. Unfazed about losing his perfect record, the Filipino says the defeat only made him a better fighter.

“The winner of this fight is going to be the fans. I’m coming back stronger than ever,” Magsayo quipped.

“I learned from my last fight that I needed to adjust for a fighter with a reach advantage like Rey Vargas. I really thought I won the fight, but I respect the judges. I’m coming to use my power and damage and hit Figueroa hard.”

Figueroa, meanwhile, is a former world champion himself and is coming off a technical knockout over Carlos Castro on Magsayo’s undercard last year. A brawler known for his vicious body punching, Magsayo predicts that his upcoming bout has fireworks written all over it.

“I guarantee that this is going to be a great fight. Figueroa is strong and always comes forward. But I’m strong too and that’s going to make this fight one you don’t want to miss,” Magsayo said.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News