Outside of his camp, you’ll have a difficult time finding many people who believe in Stephen Fulton.

Once a unified champion at 122 pounds and considered one of the best fighters in the world, Fulton (22-1, 8 KOs) marches into his showdown against Brandon Figueroa as a significant underdog this weekend. Fulton doesn’t have an issue with anyone’s opinion, but considering that he beat Figueroa just a few years ago, he has a hard time understanding where everyone is coming from.

By and large, the conjecture of his doubters stems from Fulton’s recent string of performances. He was dominated against Naoya Inoue in 2023. He then took an extended break. Once he returned, he didn't look as smooth nor as sharp against Carlos Castro.

At the age of 30, Fulton’s accomplishments speak for themselves. The Philly star reached the top of boxing’s mountain top by doing the simple things. And, by the time his showdown with Figueroa comes to a close, fans and media pundits will come to the same realization that he has.

“I’m just the better man overall,” said Fulton in front of a large Las Vegas crowd as he prepared to shadow box.

Instead of sticking around the super bantamweight division for an eventual Fulton rematch, Figueroa ditched those draining weight cuts and handed his body a reprieve. Once he did, he believes he unlocked his true potential.

It’s hard to argue with the 28-year-old at this point. He’s picked up three straight wins at 126 pounds, two of which came via stoppage. Those victories, coupled with a world title around his waist, have Figueroa walking around with his chest puffed out.

Ultimately, his inflated ego, according to Fulton, is about to take a serious hit. As long as he doesn’t find himself in a back-and-forth bloody brawl, he’s confident that he’ll be just fine.

“I’m more intelligent, I have better skills than him. I feel as though if I utilize those things and don’t fall into a trap, it’ll go my way.”