'Very fan friendly! - Nick Ball rival backs star to make latest featherweight title defence in style

Bruce Carrington expects Nick Ball to defeat Brandon Figueroa next month, as the American eyes up his own featherweight crown.

The Liverpool fighter defends his WBA strap at the M&S Bank Arena in a hometown show on February 7, live worldwide on DAZN.

The American meanwhile goes a week earlier against Carlos Castro, as he seeks to capture the vacant WBC crown at The Ring 6.

Victory for both men will further shape a busy division heading towards the heart of 2026, and Carrington anticipates the Briton to win.

"I think that Nick Ball will win the fight,” he told The Ring. “It’ll be a firefight, though. Both of those guys, they like to put [on the] pressure.

"Stylistically, it’s very fan friendly. They’re very physical, but I think that Figueroa’s defense is the reason he might lose this fight."

“It’s in [Ball’s] hometown, they’re fighting for his belt, he has all the advantages. So, even if it is a close fight, things could happen."

Ball is chasing another defence with questions over his future in the division, as he eyes up a pursuit against Naoya Inoue down the line.

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