ONTARIO, California – Brandon Figueroa fought his way into position Saturday night to challenge for the real WBC featherweight title.

An ever-aggressive Figueroa overcame a bit of a slow start to beat former WBC featherweight champ Mark Magsayo by unanimous decision in the 12-round main event of a “Showtime Championship Boxing” tripleheader from Toyota Arena. Figueroa wore down a fatigued Magsayo and won by wide distances on the scorecards of judges Gary Ritter (117-109), Fernando Villarreal (117-109) and Zachary Young (118-108).

Referee Thomas Taylor took a point apiece from Magsayo for hitting and holding in the eighth and 11th rounds. Those two point deductions didn’t factor into the decision, though, because Figueroa finished in front by such big margins.

"Man, I just went out there and wanted it and took the fight right to him,” Figueroa said. “I wanted this fight so bad. He came back a little, but once I hit him with a body shot it affected him and I put pressure, pressure, pressure on him.”

Figueroa (24-1-1, 18 KOs), a former WBA/WBC 122-pound champion, won the WBC interim featherweight title by beating Magsayo (24-2, 16 KOs). The Weslaco, Texas native is expected to fight WBC 126-pound champion Rey Vargas next.

Mexico’s Vargas (30-1, 22 KOs) edged Magsayo by split decision July 9 at Alamodome in San Antonio to take the WBC belt from Magsayo. Vargas moved up to the 130-pound division for his last bout, but he lost a unanimous decision to O’Shaquie Foster (20-2, 11 KOs) by unanimous decision February 11 at Alamodome and will return to featherweight for his next bout.

The Philippines’ Magsayo might’ve been impacted by his struggle to make weight Friday afternoon. It took a second attempt and nearly two full hours for him to come back to the California State Athletic Commission’s scale at the featherweight limit of 126 pounds.

By the 12th round Saturday night, Magsayo struggled to remain on his feet because he was so tired. Figueroa swarmed him throughout the final round, but Figueroa couldn’t hurt him badly enough to drop Magsayo.

Taylor took a second point from Magsayo with 1:16 to go in the 11th round for hitting and holding Figueroa. Taylor previously deducted a point from Magsayo for the same infraction in the eighth round.

Magsayo blasted Figueroa with a right hand just after the midway mark of the 10th round, but Figueroa pressed forward.

Magsayo went down with just under a minute on the clock in the 10th round, but Taylor ruled that Figueroa pushed him down. Magsayo went down again late in the 10th round, but he wasn’t hit with a punch, thus that wasn’t called a knockdown, either.

Figueroa and Magsayo exchanged hard punches on the inside during much of the ninth round. Magsayo hammered Figueroa with a right hand as Figueroa came forward with just over a minute to go in the ninth round.

Magsayo unexpectedly unloaded a barrage of lefts and rights to the head and body that backed up Figueroa with just over a minute remaining in the eighth round.

Taylor called for a break 14 seconds into the eighth round because Figueroa landed a low blow. Taylor took a point from Magsayo with 2:29 on the clock for holding and hitting Figueroa on the inside.

Magsayo slowed down during the seventh round, when he started to tire. Figueroa took advantage of Magsayo’s lower work rate in those three minutes and gained some momentum by landing short shots on the inside.

Figueroa’s right caught Magsayo in an exchange a minute into the seventh round.

The sixth round was beset by wrestling and holding, but Magsayo let his hands go in the final 35 seconds of it. Figueroa snuck in a right hand to the side of Magsayo’s head a few seconds before the sixth round concluded.

Magsayo caught Figueroa with a right uppercut that landed with just over 30 seconds on the clock in the fifth round.

Magsayo’s right uppercut snapped back Figueroa’s head with 1:20 to go in the fifth round. A flush right by Magsayo drilled Figueroa 1:10 into the fifth round.

Magsayo maintained his distance during most of the fourth round. He pot-shotted Figueroa with right hands as Figueroa came forward and attempted to smother Magsayo.

Figueroa’s thudding right to the body landed with just under 1:50 to go in the third round. Magsayo’s right connected about 20 seconds into the third round.

Two right uppercuts by Magsayo staggered Figueroa with just over 1:20 remaining in the second round. Magsayo followed Figueroa to the ropes thereafter and unloaded more power punches.

Magsayo tagged Figueroa with a right just 10 seconds into the second round.

Magsayo landed straight right with about 10 seconds on the clock in the first round.

Figueroa lunged forward and landed a right hand at the midway mark of the opening round. Magsayo landed a hard right hand barely 50 seconds into the first round.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.