Nick Ball Defends WBA Title vs Figueroa on Feb 7

Nick Ball will defend his WBA featherweight title against former two-division champion Brandon Figueroa on February 7 at the MS Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, promoter Queensberry Promotions announced Thursday. The bout, streaming worldwide on DAZN, marks Ball's fourth defense and pits the 28-year-old British fighter against the taller American challenger in Ball's hometown.

Ball, with a record of 23-1 and 13 knockouts, captured the WBA belt in June 2024 with a split decision victory over Ray Ford in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. That win followed a controversial 12-round draw against then-WBC champion Rey Vargas three months earlier, also in Riyadh, where Ball overcame an eight-inch height disadvantage to knock Vargas down twice. Since claiming the title, Ball has secured stoppage wins in the 10th round against Ronny Rios and TJ Doheny in hometown defenses. His most recent outing came in August 2025, a unanimous decision over Sam Goodman in Riyadh, a competitive fight that tested Ball's resilience despite the lopsided scorecards.

Figueroa, 26-1 with 19 knockouts, enters seeking redemption after a challenging 2025. The Texas native, known as "The Heartbreaker," previously held the...