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Omar "Panterita" Figueroa plans to move to the junior welterweight division following tomorrow night's lightweight title defense against Daniel Estrada, not a surprising move as the 24-year-old from Weslaco, Texas, has in the past had trouble making the division limit, and now feels he's grown out of it.
"I'm definitely moving up to 140," said Figueroa, right after making weight for the fight. "Expect an even better Omar at 140."
A bigger question may be the health of Figueroa (23-0-1, 17 KO), and specifically that of his oft-injured hands. Figueroa was practical when addressing concerns about his hands, saying he doesn't know for sure how they'll be until he's in the ring.
"I can't tell right now," he said. "It's not until I start hitting him that I'll see how my hands fare. But so far, it's good."
Figueroa is also hoping for a better performance than we saw last time out, when he won a debatable decision over Jerry Belmontes on April 26 at the same venue, Carson's StubHub Center in California.
"I've prepared very differently for this fight, and I think I'm in way better shape. I hope my body responds Saturday, and we'll prove that."