Mark Magsayo falls to Brandon Figueroa in interim title bout

Brandon Figueroa hits Mark Magsayo with a right hook. Showtime

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA—Mark Magsayo missed out on a chance to take home a world boxing title albeit on an interim basis as he lost to Brandon Figueroa in a Sunday (Philippine Time) showdown for the interim WBC featherweight title in Ontario, California.

Two one-point deductions in the match marred Magsayo's bid to be a world champ again, but they turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg when the final scorecards were revealed.

Magsayo saw his score reduced by one point in each of Rounds 8 and 11 due to excessive holding, but it seemed like both he and Figueroa engaged in a tight battle throughout the entire 36 minutes.

However, two judges tallied the fight 117-109, while the third judge had it 118-108, all in favor of Figueroa, who won his 24th bout against one loss and one draw, probably to the surprise of some keen observers.

Figueroa is now in line to unify the 126-pound belts against official champ Rey Vargas.

Vargas, who took the WBC featherweight title away from Magsayo last July, tried to be a two-belt champ, but he lost to O'Shaquie Foster last month for the WBC super featherweight title.

Magsayo, on the other hand, lost for the second straight time after a 24-0 start to his career.

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