Figueroa vs Cordova Predictions: Interim belt for Puerto Rico prospect’s proving ground

Olympian Yankiel Rivera Figueroa continues his impressive pro journey this Saturday, August 23 when he takes on unbeaten Angelino Cordova. The WBA interim flyweight title is on the line at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. DAZN will carry the broadcast live as part of a bumper boxing weekend on the channel, with five events across Saturday and Sunday. 

Here are my Figueroa vs Cordova predictions ahead of this flyweight foray.

Figueroa vs Cordova Odds

Figueroa is a big favourite at 1/16, an implied 94.1% chance of victory. Cordova is your 9/1 outsider while the draw is priced at 18/1.

Figueroa vs Cordova Fight Preview

Going by the absolute letter of the law, technically this is Figueroa’s first shot at a “world” title. But interim championships are an abused mechanic in boxing. The practice was initially designed to crown a champion if the real title-holder was on the sidelines injured. 

But WBA and WBC kingpin Ricardo Sandoval has fought twice this year already, as recently as last month. And yet both sanctioning bodies have interim belts in play alongside his unified title. Galal Yafai just had his WBC interim gold returned. Francisco Rodriguez Jr. outpointed the Birmingham stylist for that questionable belt before reportedly failing a PED test.

Now the WBA has joined the melange. The belt is flimsy but the fight isn’t. Figueroa gets his biggest test to date against a man who has challenged for the world title before and is desperate to do so again. Especially because Cordova's last crack did not come on a level playing field.

Cordova went 12 rounds with former WBC king Julio Cesar Martinez two fights ago, being knocked down twice in a fight he would have drawn were it not for those dropped points. His brave and committed challenge was mocked by Martinez’s failed PED test in the aftermath. The result was changed to a No Contest and Cordova’s unbeaten record was restored. 

After a knock-around eight-rounder over journeyman Josue Morales, Cordova is ready for another tilt at the crown. This WBA interim strap is one way to get there. But once again, the Venezuelan is matched tough. If Martinez was an established champion defending the throne, Figueroa is the anointed prince who most expect to one day become king. 

Puerto Rico is a boxing country. How else would one describe a nation that produced Felix ‘Tito’ Trinidad, Cindy and Amanda Serrano, Miguel Cotto, Wilfred Benitez, Wilfredo Gomez and Carlos Ortiz? That can lead to pressure for up-and-comers from the country. 

The pressure increases if you are a star amateur like Figueroa, who boasts Pan American Games and Central American & Caribbean Games medals around his neck. The 27-year-old also competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. His amateur career was a decorated one that creates expectation.

When you watch Figueroa you can see both the schooling that defined him as an elite unpaid fighter and the nascent makings of a top professional. The Puerto Rican is a counter-puncher, using his southpaw jab less as a weapon and more as an irritant. He tries to draw punches with a deliberately-vagrant lead so he can pop in the straight left. 

But there is a Cotto-esque warrior battling to get out. Watch the way Figueroa switches to orthodox and gets into a scuffle of swinging fury at the end of his fight with Victor Sandoval. The way he deliberately eats punches around his guard to set up the short-left that knocked Angel Gonzales down in the third round. This is not a point-fighter. Figueroa is not thinking in terms of “hit and don’t get hit”. The Puerto Rican imagines his opponent’s downfall then takes whatever abuse is required to get there.

One day a fighter will dish out more than Figueroa can take. That will lead to a necessary re-think or it will lead to a downfall. But can Cordova dish out the sort of beating that requires recalibration? 

12 knockouts from 19 wins is not a horrible return at first glance. But Cordova’s stats have been massaged to an almost-ridiculous degree. In 2018 and 2019 he went on a run of four fights against boxers with a combined record of 0-15, stopping all of them. In total, nine of his 12 KOs have come against men who had never secured a professional win.

But Cordova can fight. The enhanced Martinez found that out in their ill-fated world title showdown. The problem is, Figueroa clearly wants to be in a war. Punching this guy in the face might just be the most dangerous thing you can do.

Figueroa vs Cordova Full Card

Yankiel Rivera Figueroa vs Angelino Cordova

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Jasmine Artiga vs Linn Sandstrom

Stephanie Han vs Paulina Angel

Natalie Dove vs Randee Lynn Morales

Chris Avila vs Ariel Perez

Jocelyn Camarillo vs Agustina Solange Vazquez

Figueroa vs Cordova Prediction

Cordova showed he can take punishment against Martinez. The hooks he was getting tagged with were vicious. Many flyweights of renown would have been stopped. It will be interesting to see Figueroa’s adjustments if Cordova stands up to his best shots.

‘El Doctorito’ only has three knockouts so I do not see him over-extending himself for the finish. If Cordova keeps coming, Figueroa has more than enough in his locker to fend him off. I’m picking the Puerto Rican to take the WBA interim bauble on points at 8/13.

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