Brandon Figueroa to resume title quest against Jessie Magdaleno on Saturday

Brandon Figueroa, a top 126-pound contender, became titleholder Rey Vargas’ mandatory challenger when he outpointed Mark Magsayo in March of last year.

Then he waited. And waited. And waited.

Vargas remained idle for more than a year after losing to O’Shaquie Foster in an attempt to win a vacant 130-pound title before moving back down in weight and defending his belt against Nick Ball, with whom he drew on March 8.

Figueroa, who has been out of the ring for 14 months, is moving on, at least for now: He’s scheduled to fight Jessie Magdaleno on the Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia card Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on  DAZN Pay-Per-View.

“I guess he didn’t want to fight,” Figueroa, a former 122-pound beltholder, told Boxing Junkie. “… I spent all that time waiting. I could’ve fought someone else. It obviously messed up my boxing schedule.

“At the end of the day I take the bad with the good. Here we are with another fight on the way.”

Figueroa (24-1-1, 18 KOs) hasn’t been in a title fight since he lost a majority decision to then-unbeaten Stephen Fulton in November 2021, 2½ years ago.

He has since knocked out capable Carlos Castro in six rounds in July 2022 and defeated Magsayo by a one-sided unanimous decision eight months later.

Magsayo was coming off a split-decision loss to Vargas, which cost him the title he won by upsetting Gary Russell Jr., but he remained a respected contender. Yet Figueroa handled him fairly easily at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.

He got off to a slow start but methodically wore down his opponent with his trademark pressure to win going away, 118-108, 117-109 and 117-109. Boxing Junkie had it closer, 115-111 for Figueroa, seven rounds to five.

The victory didn’t lead directly to a title fight, as Figueroa had hoped, but he made it clear that he’s as formidable at 126 pounds as he was at 122.

“I felt like a lot of people counted me out, doubted me, thought I would lose, thought I would get knocked out,” he said.” It was the same things I heard when I fought [Luis] Nery.

“It was a big step up for me to fight Magsayo. People were calling him the next Manny Pacquiao.”

Magdaleno (29-2, 18 KOs) also is a former beltholder at 122 pounds who is coming off a loss, a one-sided decision to talented Raymond Ford in April of last year.

No major title will be on the line but the matchup represents an opportunity to make another statement on a massive stage.

“You want to make noise, you want to make a commotion to let everyone know, especially in this weight class, that I don’t come to play,” Figueroa said. “I can’t wait to show people my skills, to put the 126-pound division on notice.”

And if he continues to win, he knows a title shot — against Vargas or someone else — will come.

“Everything happens for a reason,” he said, referring to the waiting game. “Last year I didn’t fight. I want to be more active, to keep fighting, keep proving to everyone that I belong at the top.”