Two judges saw the bout 116-112, with the third judge turning in a 115-113 tally.
Esther Lin / Premier Boxing Champions
"Joet Gonzalez has been in there with the best,” said Figueroa. “He's a tough, gritty fighter who gives it his all and comes to fight. He never backed down and brought the fight to me. It was about who wanted it more.”
"I heard unanimous decision and it just is what it is,” said Gonzalez. “It was a close fight and a good fight. I should have listened to my corner a little bit more."
The fight was a battle over volume versus accuracy, as Figueroa threw (1074-821) and landed (282-265) more punches, while Gonzalez connected on 35% of his shots compared to Figueroa’s 26%. Fought at close quarters throughout, Figueroa finished stronger in the judges’ eyes, winning the final four rounds on all three cards.
"I felt like I was in control the whole fight and controlled it when I wanted to,” said Figueroa. “He had moments, but I felt like I controlled most of the rounds. It was a close, gritty win.”
The two fighters combined to only throw 203 jabs (10 landed) out of 1,895 shots thrown (most in a fight this year), choosing instead to wing power shots for 12 rounds to the crowd’s delight. After the fight, Figueroa expressed his desire to move on to fighting for the world title next.
"I want to fight a world champion,” said Figueroa. “That's what I'm looking for next."