Stephen Fulton Bio
Stephen Fulton Jr., born on July 17, 1994, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an American professional boxer who has competed at the highest level of the sport since 2014. Known by the nicknames “Scooter” and “Cool Boy Steph,” Fulton has held world championships in two weight classes, establishing himself as one of the most skilled American fighters of his generation. Standing 5 feet 6½ inches tall with a 70½-inch reach and fighting from an orthodox stance, he combines technical precision with ring intelligence to control bouts against elite opposition.
Fulton captured the unified WBO and WBC super bantamweight titles between 2021 and 2023, becoming one of the division’s most decorated champions. He added the WBC featherweight title in 2025, further cementing his reputation as a multi-division titleholder. With a professional record of 23 wins, 2 losses, and 8 knockouts across 25 total fights, Fulton continues to compete among the world’s best boxers.
Early Life and Background
Stephen Fulton Jr. was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a city with a deep and storied boxing tradition. Growing up in this environment provided him with early exposure to the sport and access to the kind of amateur infrastructure that has produced generations of world-class fighters. Philadelphia’s gym culture and competitive amateur circuits shaped Fulton’s foundational skills and competitive mindset from a young age.
Fulton developed his craft in local gyms, where he honed the technical abilities that would later define his professional style. His commitment to the sport led him to compete at the national amateur level, including a notable appearance at the 2013 Golden Gloves in Salt Lake City, where he represented the United States in the super bantamweight division. These amateur experiences gave him the platform and visibility needed to transition into the professional ranks.
Path to Professional Boxing
Fulton made his professional debut on October 14, 2014, against journeyman Issac Badger, winning by second-round technical knockout. The emphatic start to his career immediately caught the attention of major promoters, and shortly after his debut, Fulton signed with Premier Boxing Champions, one of the most prominent promotional platforms in the sport. This early partnership provided him with steady opportunities to develop against increasingly experienced opposition.
Over the next five years, Fulton methodically built an unbeaten record, amassing a 15-0 mark with six stoppage victories. He steadily climbed the super bantamweight rankings while sharpening the skills that would eventually carry him to world title contention. In May 2019, he challenged Paulus Ambunda for the IBO super bantamweight title at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, dominating the Namibian champion and securing a wide unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the bout 120-107. The performance announced Fulton as a championship-caliber fighter ready for the elite tier of the division.
Stephen Fulton Career
Early Career (2014-2019)
Fulton’s first five years as a professional were marked by steady progression and the construction of an unbeaten record. Following his second-round TKO debut against Issac Badger, he remained active on Premier Boxing Champions cards, gradually facing more experienced opponents. The signing with PBC early in his career proved pivotal, offering him both visibility and competitive matchmaking that prepared him for higher-profile opportunities.
By the time he faced Paulus Ambunda for the IBO super bantamweight title in May 2019, Fulton had established himself as a technically refined fighter with a growing fan base. His unanimous decision victory, which included a knockdown in the eighth round, served as a launching pad toward world-level competition. A follow-up win over Isaac Avelar in August 2019 further demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure, with a sixth-round body-shot finish that hinted at his growing finishing instincts.
WBO Super Bantamweight Champion (2020-2021)
Fulton’s path to his first major world title required patience and persistence. In January 2020, he defeated Arnold Khegai by unanimous decision at Barclays Center in New York City, positioning himself as the WBO super bantamweight mandatory challenger. When champion Emanuel Navarrete vacated the title in July 2020, Fulton was set to face Angelo Leo for the vacant belt, but a positive COVID-19 test forced him to withdraw from the scheduled August bout.
After months of rescheduling, Fulton finally got his shot on January 23, 2021, at the Park Theater in Las Vegas. He dominated Angelo Leo, winning the WBO super bantamweight title by unanimous decision with scores of 118-110, 119-109, and 119-109. The performance was a comprehensive display of his technical superiority, as he controlled the bout from start to finish against the previously unbeaten champion.
Unified Super Bantamweight Champion (2021-2023)
Fulton’s reign as WBO champion set the stage for a high-profile unification bout with WBC super bantamweight titlist Brandon Figueroa. Originally scheduled for September 2021, the fight was postponed twice before taking place on November 27, 2021, at the Park Theater in Las Vegas. Entering as a heavy -340 favorite, Fulton won by majority decision with scores of 114-114 and two 116-112s, becoming a unified world champion and one of the most accomplished fighters in the division.
He made his first unified title defense on June 4, 2022, against former unified champion Daniel Roman at the Minneapolis Armory, winning by wide unanimous decision in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,695. The performance was statistically dominant, with Fulton out-landing Roman 218 to 113 in total punches. However, his reign came to an end in spectacular fashion on July 25, 2023, when he traveled to Ariake Arena in Tokyo to face three-division champion Naoya Inoue, losing by eighth-round technical knockout in his first fight outside the United States.
WBC Featherweight Champion (2024-Present)
Following his loss to Inoue, Fulton moved up to the featherweight division in 2024. In his featherweight debut on September 14, 2024, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, he defeated Carlos Castro by split decision over ten rounds. The victory positioned him for a shot at major hardware in the new weight class, and on February 1, 2025, he faced WBC featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa in a rematch of their 2021 super bantamweight unification bout.
The February 2025 fight took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where Fulton once again got the better of Figueroa, winning by unanimous decision to claim the WBC featherweight title. The victory marked his second world championship in a different weight class and reinforced his standing as an elite multi-division fighter.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Fulton’s signature achievements are his two victories over Brandon Figueroa, his dominant title defense against Daniel Roman, and his world title wins across two weight divisions. His January 2021 unanimous decision over Angelo Leo to capture the WBO super bantamweight title marked the arrival of a new champion, while his February 2025 unanimous decision over Figueroa to claim the WBC featherweight title cemented his multi-division credentials. His performance against Inoue in Tokyo, though a loss, represented his willingness to test himself against the very best in the sport.
Stephen Fulton Career Wins
Stephen Fulton Jr. has compiled 23 professional victories across multiple weight divisions, with eight of those wins coming by way of knockout. His career wins span the super bantamweight and featherweight divisions, highlighted by world title victories over Angelo Leo, Brandon Figueroa, and other top contenders. Fulton’s résumé includes championship-level performances in major venues such as the Park Theater in Las Vegas, the Minneapolis Armory, and T-Mobile Arena.
WBO and WBC Super Bantamweight Highlights
Fulton’s super bantamweight title run included his January 2021 unanimous decision over Angelo Leo to claim the WBO belt, his November 2021 majority decision over Brandon Figueroa to add the WBC title and become unified champion, and his June 2022 wide unanimous decision over Daniel Roman in his first unified title defense. Each of these wins demonstrated his ability to control championship-caliber opposition over twelve rounds.
WBC Featherweight Highlights
In the featherweight division, Fulton scored a split decision over Carlos Castro in September 2024 and then captured the WBC featherweight title with a unanimous decision over Brandon Figueroa in February 2025. These wins confirmed his ability to perform at championship level in a new weight class.
Stephen Fulton Family
Personal Life
Stephen Fulton Jr. maintains a private personal life. He is widely recognized in the boxing community for his Philadelphia roots and the city that shaped his development as a fighter.
2025 Season Performance
Stephen Fulton Jr.’s 2025 campaign was defined by his February 1 unanimous decision victory over Brandon Figueroa at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which earned him the WBC featherweight title and marked his second world championship in a different weight class. The win over Figueroa, a rematch of their 2021 super bantamweight unification bout, was a clear statement that Fulton remained an elite force in the sport following his 2023 loss to Naoya Inoue.
Building on that momentum, Fulton moved up another weight class in late August 2025, when it was reported that he would challenge O’Shaquie Foster for the WBC super featherweight title at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on October 25, 2025. However, after weighing in two pounds over the super featherweight limit at 132 lbs, the bout was reclassified as a WBC interim lightweight championship contest. Fulton ultimately lost that fight by unanimous decision, adding a second defeat to his professional record.
Looking ahead, Fulton will look to regroup and return to the winner’s column as a multi-division titleholder with experience at the championship level across featherweight, super bantamweight, and beyond. His combination of technical skill, ring intelligence, and willingness to face top opposition ensures that he remains a relevant figure in the upper weight classes of professional boxing.