After eight rounds of punishment, Omar Figueroa’s corner had seen enough and ended his 140-pound title eliminator bout against Sergey Lipinets who stepped in only five days ago after Adrien Broner stepped away due to mental health issues.
From the opening bell, the defensive flaws that plagued most of Figueroa’s career became even more apparent as Lipinets delivered shot after shot against a visibly slower Figueroa who suffered an early knockdown in the 2nd round.
Following the 7th round, Figueroa’s trainer could be heard warning Figueroa that he was “going to stop this fight” if Figueroa couldn’t defend himself. Making good on his word, Figueroa’s corner stopped the fight following a brutal 8th round before any more damage could be done as for the 2nd straight bout, Figueroa’s night ends in a TKO defeat, having lost three straight bouts.
Following the fight, a visibly distraught Figueroa spoke to Showtime’s Jim Grey about his plans to step away from the game, stating, “27 years and I think my body has reached its limit. I’m sorry to the fans who were expecting a great fight…I guess my body’s just done…I think I’ve reached the end of the line here in boxing.”
"I think my body has reached its limit."@OmarFigueroaJr says this is the end of his boxing career 🥊
#FigueroaLipinets pic.twitter.com/624kXfvIWj— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) August 21, 2022
Figueroa, whose daughter was born earlier today, also told Gray that he may not be involved in boxing in any capacity in the near future.
Figueroa dedicated his, seemingly, last fight to those suffering from mental health issues, a part of his life that Figueroa has been candidly open about in the past.
If this is, in fact, the end for Omar “Panterita” Figueroa’s boxing career, he leaves the ring with a 28-3-1 record, as a former WBC lightweight champion, and as one of the greatest fighters to ever come out of the Rio Grande Valley.
