Two of the pound-for-pound best fighters Texas has to offer were on the undercard of Canelo vs Munguia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. " El Azteca" Mario Barrios of San Antonio and Weslaco's "The Heartbreaker" Brandon Figueroa, were successful in defending their interim WBC titles. Barrios dropped and battered Fabian Maidana, the brother of former world champion Marcos Maidana of Argentina. WBC interim welterweight champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios got off to a quick start, and an overhand right in the third sent Maidana tumbling to the canvas. Barrios, trained by Bob Santos, continued to box behind the jab and in complete control throughout the scheduled 12-rounder. It was the Texan that was putting round after round in the bank, but Barrios's right eye was swelling badly from the left hand of Maidana. Barrios had suffered from badly swollen eye issues in the past, and it became a race against time. Could Barrios, who was in complete control, have his badly swollen eye make it to the final bell? Barrios was unphased and continued to pour in right hands and kept Maidana away with his jab as he rolled to a wide unanimous decision by scores of 116-111 X3. El Azteca 29-2 (18), and successfully defended his interim welterweight strap. It is expected that Barrios will be elevated to full champion and will likely fight Eimantas Stanionis next. However, that is not confirmed.
Also on the card was WBC Interim Featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa. The Heartbreaker is now 27 years old and was able to move his record to 25-1-1 (19) by stopping 32-year-old former world champion Jessie Magdaleno in nine rounds. Late In the ninth round, Figueroa drove Magdaleno back into the ropes and landed with a thudding left hook to the liver of Magdaleno, sending him to the canvas and unable to continue. It was the 19th KO of The Weslaco native's career. The official time was 2:59 of round nine. The RGV native overcame a sluggish start Figueroa really got cooking in round five and had his man in the ropes and trouble, and Magdaleno was seemingly saved when a borderline punch was ruled low. Figueroa was undeterred and got back to work drove his foe into the ropes into the sixth, and unleashed a combination that had Magdaleno in the world of trouble. Magdeleno was never able to gain the momentum back in his favor, and the relentless style was just too much to overcome as Figeroa did not let off the gas until he finally ended the show in the ninth.