From a potential “upset of the year,” when he walked into the Lion’s Den and snatched away Nick Ball’s WBA featherweight title in early February, Brandon Figueroa has delivered the ultimate “letdown of the year.” Ahead of his first title defense against Tomoki Kameda in the co-main of the TGB-TNT card headlined by Sebastian Fundora vs. Ermal Hadribeaj, Figueroa failed to make weight, resulting in the WBA stripping him of the title.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“‼️ Breaking: Brandon Figueroa weighs-in at 127.4 lbs and has been stripped of his WBA featherweight title after failing to make the 126 lb limit,” the post by Ring Magazine read.
“Tomoki Kameda will be crowned champion if he beats Figueroa Saturday night after successfully making weight.”
The announcement follows the incidents that unfolded at the weigh-ins of the bout against Kameda. As a featherweight title holder, Figueroa was supposed to weigh no more than the division’s 126 pounds. Instead, he tipped the scale at 127.4 pounds – 1.4 over the title limit.
Reports indicate that, after the allotted time to make weight had passed, Figueroa moved down to 126.8 pounds during an unofficial subsequent attempt. Still, that put him over the featherweight limit.
The World Boxing Association (WBA) regulations specify the consequences for a champion who fails to make weight.
“Should a champion fail to make weight after the additional two (2) hour period, he shall lose his title. If the challenger makes weight, and the challenger wins the bout, he shall be crowned the new champion. If the champion who did not make the weight is the winner of the fight, the title shall be declared vacant,” it reads.
‼️ Breaking: Brandon Figueroa weighs-in at 127.4lbs and has been stripped of his WBA featherweight title after failing to make the 126lb limit. Tomoki Kameda will be crowned champion if he beats Figueroa Saturday night after successfully making weight.
The weight miss is particularly notable given Figueroa’s previous record in the super bantamweight division, where he held the WBA (Regular) super bantamweight title and secured the WBC title also before losing to Stephen Fulton on November 27, 2021.
He has been widely regarded as a dependable professional who managed his weight well during his time in division.
Even after he moved up to the featherweight division, Figueroa had rarely attracted scrutiny over his weight cuts. His previously clean record at the scales makes the miss all the more surprising, especially ahead of his first title defense in his second stint as a world champion.
Figueroa is not the first champion to lose a title on the scales.
Beyond Brandon Figueroa: When the scale struck before the fight
In September 2022, Shakur Stevenson weighed in at 131.6 pounds, exceeding the 130-pound super featherweight limit by 1.6 pounds before facing Robson Conceicao. He was stripped of his WBC and WBO titles. Although he won by unanimous decision, the belts remained vacant after the fight, and he later moved up to 135 pounds.
In March 2018, Luis Nery, who Figueroa defeated in 2021, initially weighed 123 pounds before coming in at 121 pounds on a subsequent attempt. He remained three pounds over the 118-pound bantamweight limit. Stripped of his title, Nery knocked out Shinsuke Yamanaka in the second round of their rematch.
A notable example from MMA is Charles Oliveira. At UFC 274 in May 2022, the Brazilian weighed in at 155.5 pounds, half a pound above the lightweight championship limit. He lost his title when the main event began but secured a first-round submission victory over Justin Gaethje.
In Figueroa’s case, beyond his title, his failure to make the featherweight limit reportedly prompted negotiations over a financial penalty to keep his bout with Kameda on the schedule.
More significantly, the setback has also fueled speculations over Figueroa’s future at 126 pounds. Standing 5-foot-9, Figueroa has reportedly dealt with a hamstring injury that may have complicated his preparations. However, the injury’s precise impact on his weight cut remains unclear.
Figueroa recently called out superstar Naoya Inoue, who has discussed moving up to 126 pounds as negotiations for the much-anticipated showdown with American star Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez seemingly hit a snag.
With Figueroa now without a title, the path to that matchup remains unclear.
While a move to 130 pounds has been discussed, no permanent move has been confirmed. Even so, Figueroa’s latest setback now affects a potential showdown with Emanuel Navarrete and O’Shaquie Foster, who are scheduled to meet in a title unification next week.