Boxing

Nick Ball To Face Former Champion In Next WBA Featherweight Title Defense

WBA 126-pound champion will defend his belt against former champion Brandon Figueroa
Jaren Kawada|
Nick Ball
Nick Ball | IMAGO / Action Plus

After going 2-0 in 2025, Nick Ball has his first title defense of 2026 scheduled.

Ball, 28, prepares for his fourth defense of the WBA featherweight title after surviving his first full year as a champion. Queensberry Promotions confirmed the all-action 'Wrecking Ball' will return and defend his belt against former champion Brandon Figueroa on Feb. 7, 2026.

The fight will commence at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England. The announcement did not state if the fight would headline a card or if it would be paired with another title fight.

By returning to England, Ball will fight in his home country for the third time in his last four outings. The two other fights during his title reign were in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Riyadh Season-promoted events.

The 5-foot-9 Figueroa is Ball's biggest test to date, both physically and figuratively. The 28-year-old Texas native claimed the WBC and WBA super bantamweight titles before moving up to 126 pounds, where he went on to become a two-division champion.

Figueroa began 2025 as the WBC featherweight titleholder, but he lost the belt to Stephen Fulton in February. He has since rebounded with a unanimous decision nod over Joet Gonzalez in July to improve to 26-2-1.

Ball is coming off a unanimous decision win over Sam Goodman in August. The fight was promoted as his toughest challenge to date, but Ball overwhelmed the previously undefeated Goodman to retain his belt.

Ball and Figueroa are two of the most exciting fighters in the lower weight classes, setting the table for an all-out war. Both fighters love to pressure and rarely fight off their back foot, regardless of opponent.

Frank Warren touts Nick Ball before Brandon Figueroa matchup

Frank Warren
Frank Warren during a press conference at the Guildhall, London on October 23, 2024. | IMAGO / PA Images

The fight anticipation is only beginning, but Queensberry Promotions founder Frank Warren is already counting down the days. Warren immediately expressed his "delight" with the matchup on X, while promising that the fight will entertain all viewers.

"We're delighted to be going back to Merseyside early next year for another signature Nick Ball world title fight at the M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool," Warren tweeted. "Nick always delivers entertaining , hard hitting fights and this one promises to be no different against 2-weight world champion, Brandon Figueroa."

Odds have yet to be released, but Ball figures to be a sizable favorite, even with his seven-inch height disadvantage. Figueroa got back on the right track with his win over Gonzalez on the Mario Barrios-Manny Pacquiao undercard, but fans still have a bad taste in their mouths from his second loss to Fulton as a moderate betting favorite.

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Jaren Kawada
JAREN KAWADA

Jaren Kawada is a combat sports writer who specializes in betting, with over five years of experience in boxing and MMA. When he is not covering the sport, Kawada is an avid MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing practitioner. Kawada has previous bylines with ClutchPoints, Sportskeeda MMA, BetSided and FanSided MMA. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kawada has a B.A. in Sports Media from Butler University and now resides in Denver, Colorado.

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