Due to Adrien Broner’s decision to withdraw from his fight with Omar Figueroa Jr., Sergey Lipinets was given the opportunity to fight in the Saturday Showtime Championship Boxing main event. Making the most of the chance, Lipinets dominated the contest and compelled Figueroa’s corner to call time on it after eight rounds.
Figueroa was undoubtedly competitive; he attacked from the first bell and tried to keep Lipinets pressed up against the ropes. That tactic might have been effective against Broner, a competitor known for having spurts of poor offensive performance. It was a tragedy waiting to happen when facing Lipinets.
As Figueroa rushed inside and made use of whatever open space he could find to sit down on punches, Lipinets displayed strong defense. When Lipinets landed with a powerful right hand that caused a knockdown in the second round, it became quite evident that Figueroa could not prevail in a firefight.
Former lightweight world champion Figueroa persisted in trying to attack, but Lipinets methodically dismantled him with thudding blows to the head and torso.
The fight was stopped after a difficult eighth round for Figueroa’s corner as the bout seemed to drain his energy as the rounds went on.
Unofficially, Lipinets landed 172 blows to Figueroa’s 44. Due to how the bout ended, Figueroa, whose previous fight also ended in a corner stoppage, decided to discontinue his career as a boxer.
You know, I’m just disappointed. After the bout, Figueroa stated, “We worked so crazy hard. “I suppose my body has had enough. Despite the fact that I’ve been doing this for 27 years, I work harder than ever. I swear to you guys, I worked my tail off. But I think my body is simply worn out.
“The change in the opponent] is not an explanation. We put forth a ton of effort, but my body just couldn’t handle it. I believe my boxing career is over at this point. I believe enough is enough.”
The birth of Figueroa’s daughter earlier in the day was also mentioned.
Returning to 140 pounds, where he is a far better match than he demonstrated in his unsuccessful welterweight run, Lipinets earned his first victory since 2019.