It’s going to be difficult for him to match him if he’s throwing over 100 punches per round, as he’s done in his recent fights. What makes the former two-time super bantamweight champion Figueroa so good is his nonstop punching. He throws over 1,000 punches per fight, making it difficult for his opponents to match him.
“I know Nick Ball is coming to fight. So, I’m prepared to fight as many punches as I can. I want to take that belt back home, and I’ll do everything in my power to do so,” said Brandon Figueroa today at the kickoff press conference for his fight against Nick Ball in February.
The 5’2′ Ball’s style of fighting is to get in close, slug, and roughhouse his opponents. He tries to stay in close because he lacks the height to fight on the outside. He struggled with the height of the WBC 126-lb champion, 5’10” Rey Vargas, last year. Figueroa, 5’9″, is almost as tall as Rey. If he prevents Ball from getting in close, it could be a one-sided fight.
Ball may not use as much of his physical style against Figueroa, as he’s not the type to tie up his opponents. That’s what frustrated Nick in his fight against Vargas. He was being held a lot, so he used a lot of wrestling and shoving in response.
In one instance, Ball was credited with a knockdown after he shoved Vargas off balance and then punched him. That blown call saved Ball from losing the fight. It was scored a 12-round draw.
“It depends on how he manages the storm, but I’m coming with everything. That’s my strategy, and so far, it’s worked for me. I’m an exciting fighter, and I bring excitement,” said Figueroa.
Ball has never shown the ability to throw 1000 punches in a fight in his career. His output is often in the 600 punch range. That means he could be out-punched by a wide margin by Figueroa if he fails to knock him out. This could be a factor in the fight if Ball fails to drop Figueroa or stop him. Of course, with the fight being staged in Ball’s hometown of Liverpool, England, one can’t rule out controversy.
“There’s a lot more to my game than just pressure. It’s clever boxing with pressure,” said Ball.
Pressure is essentially the biggest part of Ball’s game. He’s always pressuring, as he doesn’t have the arm reach or height to fight on the outside, especially against taller fighters. If he doesn’t pressure Figueroa, it’s going to be a long night for him.
