LAS VEGAS –
Brandon Figueroa and
Joet Gonzalez are set to square off July 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as part of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios pay-per-view undercard, multiple sources told The Ring on Thursday.
The remaining fights on the PBC on Prime Video PPV undercard for Pacquiao’s comeback fight at 46 against the WBC welterweight champion Barrios
are set to be a rematch between WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora and Tim Tszyu, as well as
another rematch between Isaac Cruz and Angel Fierro.
An announcement is imminent from Premier Boxing Champions in the coming days, with press conferences scheduled for Saturday in Las Vegas and Tuesday in Los Angeles.
To prepare for his first fight
since losing a February decision to Stephen Fulton for a second time, Figueroa has handed the coaching keys of his career to respected coach Manny Robles and will be training out of the Knockouts Boxing Facility in Los Angeles. The 28-year-old, Weslaco, Texas native Figueroa was previously trained by his father, Omar Figueroa Sr.
"Brandon is a disciplined kid. He works hard. We have to be ready for Joet," Robles told The Ring in an interview on Thursday while preparing his other charge, Armando Resendiz, for his fight against Caleb Plant on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay.
"Omar called me and asked if I could work with Brandon, and we agreed to give it a go. Brandon has been comfortable under my guidance so far. I am not trying to change too much. He's a veteran and a former world champion. He's a southpaw and orthodox fighter, and I am looking to add to his style. It's going to be a barnburner and hell of a fight.”
Figueroa (25-2-1, 19 KOs) is a former two-division world champion. He knocked out Luis Nery to claim a second 122-pound title in May 2021 and notched a unanimous decision against Mark Magsayo in March 2023 for the 126-pound belt he held.
Figueroa defended his featherweight title once against Jessie Magdaleno last May before losing to Fulton earlier this year following their spirited slugfest in November 2021 at 122 pounds, which resulted in a majority decision loss for Figueroa.
Gonzalez (27-4, 15 KOs) will be a gritty counterpart. The 31-year-old has alternated wins and losses in his last eight fights. The losses have come against former or current world champions in Luis Alberto Lopez, Isaac Dogboe, Emanuel Navarrete, and Shakur Stevenson.
Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan.