Stephen Fulton kept it cool, even though he knew he was in for a long night.

This past Saturday night, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Fulton (23-1, 8 KOs) stood across the ring from Brandon Figueroa. Although he grabbed the win the first time around in 2021, Fulton was viewed as somewhat of a shot fighter. Naoya Inoue not only stopped Fulton in 2023 but many were convinced that he broke his spirit. That logic seemed pragmatic once Fulton had a shaky performance against Carlos Castro.

Yet, even with Fulton being viewed as a sizable underdog, he made it look easy, winning a wide decision.

Before they officially ran things back, Fulton remembered how their first matchup played out. Figueroa (25-2-1, 19 KOs) was aggressive, relentless, and persistent. This time, he was lackadaisical, listless, and fought like a man without a plan.

As Fulton wrapped his newly won 126-pound title around his waist, he sat back and thought about their one-sided battle. After doing so, even he admitted that his win over Figueroa the second time around, was a lot easier than even he was anticipating.

“I feel like I dominated more than the first time because he didn’t fight like his normal self.” Explained Fulton to YSM Sports Media. “I feel like he shouldn’t have changed that up.”

In large spurts, Figueroa, who fights out of the orthodox stance, fought as a left-handed fighter. While he did his best to bemuse Fulton, his game plan came across as incoherent, leading to his demise.

Ultimately, Fulton was never quite worried about the perpetual pressure Figueroa was known for. He was confident that he would walk out of the ring with the victory. With that said, things wouldn’t have been so slanted in his favor if his longtime rival simply came out swinging the way he normally does.

“He would’ve had more success if he just fought his normal way.”