Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
Mark Magsayo failed in his bid to capture the interim WBC featherweight title after yielding to Brandon Figueroa via unanimous decision at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California Saturday, March 4 (Sunday in Manila).
Two judges scored the fight 117-109 while the third had it 118-108 in favor of Figueroa, who overcame a slow start and went on with his aggressive stance against the ever-flashy Magsayo.
Referee Thomas Taylor deducted two points from Magsayo for excessive holding in the eighth and 11th round, but it didn’t affect the outcome as Figueroa went on to dominate the Tagbilaran City fighter by a wide margin.
Figueroa improved his record to 24-1-1 with 18 KOs, putting him in line to face WBC 126-pound champion Rey Vargas next.
It was a second straight loss for Magsayo after bowing to Vargas in a split decision last July and yielding his WBC title belt.
He slipped to a 24-2 record with 16 KOs.
In Friday’s weighin, Magsayo struggled to make weight, needing two hours to meet the 126-pound limit.
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Credit belongs to : www.mb.com.ph
