LAS VEGAS – Stephen Fulton Jr. left no doubt whatsoever about his second victory over Brandon Figueroa.

Fulton defeated Figueroa convincingly in what was a highly anticipated rematch that disappointed fans at T-Mobile Arena who wanted them to replicate their 12-round, 122-pound title unification fight three years ago at nearby Dolby Live inside Park MGM. Fulton was sharper when there was distance between them and fended off Figueroa’s attempts at roughing him up on the inside by tying him up and landing short shots of his own.

Fulton (23-1, 8 KOs) won a unanimous decision and took the WBC featherweight title from Figueroa (25-2-1, 19 KOs) on the David Benavidez-David Morrell Jr. undercard. Judges Max De Luca (117-111), David Sutherland (116-112) and Zachary Young (116-112) scored their fan-unfriendly fight for Fulton.

Figueroa, of Weslaco, Texas, has lost only a pair of 12-round decisions to Philadelphia’s Fulton.

A then-unbeaten Fulton defeated Figueroa by majority decision in November 2021. Judges Tim Cheatham and Dave Moretti scored that fight 116-112 for Fulton, whereas Sutherland had it even, 114-114.

“It feels good,” Fulton, a former WBC/WBO 122-pound champ, told PBC’s Brian Campbell in the ring. “Now I’m a champion again. For all the ones that doubt me, I must say continue to support me, whether it’s negative or positive.”

Fulton didn’t seem the least bit bothered by Figueroa’s pressure in the eighth, ninth, 10th, 11th or 12th rounds. He wrestled with Figueroa when necessary, strategically landed to Figueroa’s head and body and took Figueroa’s best punches when the former champion did connect.

“I feel like he didn’t let enough shots go, like he normally would,” Fulton said. “And I feel like he kinda slowed down when he moved up to 126. You know, as you see, his punch output lowered from when we was at 122, and I feel like I capitalized well on that. I used my jab, listened to my corner. And I feel like his power was the same. I feel everything was the same.”

A frustrated Figueroa tried to maul Fulton during the sixth and seventh rounds. Fulton fended him off by tying him up and landed the cleaner punches when he did let his hands go.

Figueroa fought more physically in the fifth round. They wrestled against the ropes and Figueroa didn’t afford Fulton the distance he preferred to get his punches off.

Even when pressed, Fulton unloaded a right uppercut that caught Figueroa as the champion attempted to maul him.

Figueroa intensified his pressure during the fourth round, when he backed Fulton against the ropes on multiple occasions and let his hands go. Fulton landed a right hand once he established some separation late in the fourth round.

Fulton’s right stung Figueroa with 20 seconds on the clock in the third round.

A right hand by Fulton got Figueroa’s attention barely 30 seconds into the third round. Figueroa later landed a left that made Fulton back up temporarily.

Fulton drilled Figueroa with a right hand as Figueroa backed him against the ropes barely a minute into the second round. Figueroa switched several times between southpaw and orthodox stances during the second round, yet he had trouble establishing his rhythm.

Fulton and Figueroa felt each other out during a first round in which neither fighter landed a clean punch worth mentioning.