Full Breakdown
Figueroa Withdraws, Leaving WBA Featherweight Title Vacant
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Fight Cancellation and Title Status
On Saturday, October 17, 2026, the co-feature bout between defending champion Brandon Figueroa and challenger Tomoki Kameda was called off after Figueroa fell ill overnight. The cancellation followed Figueroa’s failure to make the 126-pound (57.1 kg) featherweight limit at the weigh-in on Friday, October 16, 2026, which stripped him of the World Boxing Association (WBA) title. With the champion unable to compete, the belt remained vacant.
Background & Context
Figueroa, a 29-year-old former super-bantamweight world champion, captured the WBA featherweight crown on February 7, 2026, by stopping former champion Nick Ball in Liverpool, England. The October 17 fight in Las Vegas was to be his first defense. Kameda, a 35-year-old former WBO bantamweight champion from Osaka, Japan, had not fought since a majority-decision loss to Angelo Leo in May 2025 and was seeking a second world-title opportunity.
Timeline
- February 7, 2026 – Figueroa wins the WBA featherweight title.
- October 16, 2026 – Official weigh-in: Figueroa records 127.4 lb (1.4 lb over limit) while Kameda makes weight at 125.8 lb.
- October 17, 2026 – Reuters and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) announce Figueroa’s withdrawal due to illness; the bout is cancelled.
Data & Statistics
- Brandon Figueroa: 27-2-1 record, 20 KOs (some sources list 21 KOs).
- Tomoki Kameda: 42-5 record, 23 KOs.
- Weight miss reported as 1.4 lb over the limit by Dan Rafael (Middleeasy, Si) and as 0.8 lb in a broadcast commentary.
- No second official weigh-in was conducted; a later, unofficial attempt recorded 126.8 lb, still above the limit.
Official Statements & Responses
The WBA confirmed that the title would remain vacant because the champion could not defend it after missing weight.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact amount by which Figueroa missed weight: Dan Rafael reported a 1.4-pound excess, while a Ring Magazine broadcast cited a 0.8-pound miss. Additionally, there is no publicly disclosed medical diagnosis for the illness that forced the withdrawal, nor any announced replacement opponent for Kameda. The lack of a second official weigh-in leaves the precise weight at the time of cancellation ambiguous.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I never skipped a single day of training,” — Tomoki Kameda, japan’s former champion
- “I’m just ready. We prepared 110%. Just like what I did in the UK, going out there against all odds, nothing is gonna come between me and keeping this belt. I’ve lost it before and gained it back, now I don’t plan on losing it again,” — Brandon Figueroa, after former champion
These statements capture the fighters’ preparation mindsets and the stakes surrounding the cancelled contest.