Ontario, Calif. — In a marathon night of fights, Southern California fans were treated to performances in a variety of weight classes headlined by Brandon Figueroa (17-0-0, 12 KOs) of Weslaco, TX against Columbian Oscar Escandon (25-5-0, 17 KOs) in an action-packed 10-round super bantamweight bout that ended with a knockout by the young prospect Figueroa in the final round live on FS1 and FOX Deportes from Citizens Business Bank Arena.
Both Figueroa and Escandon picked up the pace early as they went toe-to-toe battling in an entertaining fight from the first bell. Figueroa, who typically fights at a distance, wanted to make a statement that he isn't afraid to fight on the inside. An accidental head butt caused a large cut over the left eye of Figueroa, as blood poured the remainder of the fight. The combatants continued to throw high volumes of punches throughout the bout, but Figueroa remained more accurate and active as Escandon did his best to stay strong. In the tenth and final round, Figueroa sealed the win with a powerful combination that ended in a right upper cut to Escandon's chin, sending him to the canvas rendering him unable to stand at minute 1:42.
"Escandon is tough. He is short and it was hard to get to the body," said Figueroa. "I can fight both inside and outside, but his size did matter. I had to get in there and he wasn't backing up. I was ready for this fight. Opportunities like this don't come often so I had to take it and run with it. I have been training all summer and I am ready to take a few days off and get right back to it."
"I knew Figueroa was good, but I was surprised at how tough he was," said Escandon. "Everyone can get caught with a punch. I wasn't tired. I just got caught. I am okay. I am going to keep going."