LIVERPOOL, England — Well-rested and happy, WBA featherweight world champion Nick Ball is raring to get back to action.

Sat on a balcony at Liverpool’s BoxPark, the Liverpudlian looked down at the screens advertising his February 7 title defence against dangerous American Brandon Figueroa.

“It’s a proper one innit?” Ball (23-0-1, 13 KOs) said before the event’s launch press conference started.

“You don’t become a two-weight world champion by being average. He fights like me — well, he’s gonna find out he’s nothing like me — but there are similarities.”

In March 2024, The Ring’s No. 3 featherweight embarked on a run of five world title fights within 18 months.

He was held to a controversial split draw by WBC champion Rey Vargas of Mexico but just three months later he outfought Raymond Ford to win the WBA title.

Capitalising on his success, Ball returned to Liverpool and stopped the experienced Ronny Rios and TJ Doheny. In August he outpointed Australia’s Sam Goodman.

Ball did more than enough to beat the smart Goodman but wasn’t at his rampaging best.

After bouncing from camp to camp, Ball took a few months to recuperate and the thought of taking on the aggressive, accomplished Figueroa (26-2-1, 19 KOs) has reawakened the same excitement he felt before the fights with Vargas and Ford.

“It’s on,” he said.

“Every fight you've got to be on it. Your life's on the line, even more so with a fighter like this. You've got to be on it, you can't switch off. You've got to listen to people around you and keep doing what you've been doing.”

The relentless, aggressive Ball has been able to impose himself on all of his professional opponents.

Despite standing 5-foor-9, Figueroa is happy to give away his advantages in height and reach and engage his opponents at close quarters. In July, he threw more than 1,000 punches as he outpointed Joet Gonzalez in their WBA title eliminator.

Ball won’t have to persuade Figueroa to hold his feet. The Texan will come to Liverpool looking for a fight.

“He's going to, isn't he?” Ball said. “He’s coming over to Liverpool to try and take my belt. He’s got a world title opportunity, hasn't he? He's going to come and try, that's his job to do.

“Is he going to succeed?” Ball added with a smile. “Who knows?”

Ball, 28, is the longest reigning of Britain’s four reigning world champions. He also keeps the most low profile. He doesn’t live his life through social media and is rarely seen unless he is supporting one of his teammates from the Everton Red Triangle Gym.

Figueroa would be a noteworthy addition to what is rapidly becoming one of the deepest resumes in British boxing.

Fighters who have achieved a fraction of what he has receive far more attention, but Ball hasn’t spent a second thinking about where he stands in the domestic pecking order.

“That's not for me to answer. That's for you guys and the people watching to answer,” he said.

“I feel like I'm an exciting fighter. People always want to watch all-action fighters put it all on the line.

“Everyone's got their opinions. People are going to say it, people aren't going to say it. It doesn't really matter. I'm just going to continue doing me.”