Nick Ball‘s long-awaited return to the ring has been announced as he gears up to lock horns with a two-weight world champion next.
The unbeaten 28-year-old will make the fourth defence of his WBA world featherweight title against America’s Brandon Figueroa when he competes in his hometown at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool on Saturday February 7.
Ball will be hoping to add another big name to his stellar record, having also claimed impressive victories over the likes of Raymond Ford, Isaac Dogboe and TJ Doheny, remaining unbeaten as a professional since making his debut in 2017.
It was the split decision win over Ford in June 2024 that saw Ball claim the WBA strap, having narrowly missed out on the WBC title in the fight prior to that when he was held to a split decision draw against Rey Vargas.
The Liverpudlian made his return to action back in August when he defeated Australia’s Sam Goodman via unanimous decision at the conclusion of their competitive meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Figueroa will be looking to become a two-time world featherweight champion after he was dethroned of his WBC 126lb title against Stephen Fulton back in February. The 28-year-old from Texas has also held the WBC super-bantamweight title, stopping Luis Nery in the seventh round of their California showdown in May of 2021.
‘The Heartbreaker’ could prove to be the toughest test of Ball’s career to date, especially considering the American stands at a whopping seven inches taller than the hard-hitting Brit.
