Stephen Fulton Jr. Bio
Stephen Fulton Jr., born on July 17, 1994, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an American professional boxer who has competed at the highest levels of the sport since 2014. Known by the ring names “Scooter” and “Cool Boy Steph,” Fulton has built a reputation as a precise and patient boxer with a strong amateur pedigree. Standing 5 feet 6½ inches tall with a 70½-inch reach and an orthodox stance, he has captured world titles in two weight classes.
Fulton held the unified WBO and WBC super bantamweight titles from 2021 to 2023 before suffering his first professional loss. He rebounded by claiming the WBC featherweight title in February 2025 with a decision win over Brandon Figueroa. With a professional record of 23 wins, including eight knockouts, against only two defeats, Fulton remains one of the prominent American fighters of his generation.
Early Life and Background
Stephen Fulton Jr. grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a city with a deep tradition of producing championship-level fighters. From an early age, he was drawn to boxing and developed his skills in local gyms, where Philadelphia’s competitive amateur scene helped shape his technical foundation. The city’s boxing culture, known for producing skilled technicians rather than just power punchers, influenced his patient and accurate approach inside the ring.
Fulton honed his craft through the amateur ranks, winning a Golden Gloves championship in 2013 at super bantamweight in Salt Lake City. That amateur success signaled his readiness for the professional ranks and provided a launching pad for his transition to the paid ranks. By the time he turned professional in late 2014, Fulton had already accumulated enough experience to suggest he could develop into a title contender.
Path to Professional Boxing
Fulton made his professional debut on October 14, 2014, against journeyman Isaac Badger, winning by second-round technical knockout. The strong start earned him a contract with Premier Boxing Champions shortly afterward, placing him on a major promotional platform from the beginning of his career. Over the next five years, he steadily built a record, compiling a 15-0 mark with six stoppage victories and avoiding the early pitfalls that can derail young prospects.
His first major title opportunity arrived on May 11, 2019, when he traveled to EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, to challenge Paulus Ambunda for the IBO super bantamweight title. Fulton dominated the fight, scored a knockdown in the eighth round, and won a wide unanimous decision with all three judges scoring 120-107. Later that year, he added a catchweight win over Isaac Avelar and publicly called for a unification bout with either Brandon Figueroa or Daniel Roman, signaling his intent to chase major belts.
Stephen Fulton Jr. Career
Early Career (2014-2019)
Fulton’s early professional years were characterized by a methodical build under the Premier Boxing Champions banner. He faced a steady stream of opponents, gradually increasing the caliber of competition as his record grew. The signature win of this stretch came against Paulus Ambunda, a former WBO bantamweight champion, for the IBO super bantamweight crown. Fulton’s performance in that bout demonstrated his ability to control distance, land accurate combinations, and adapt against an experienced champion.
By the end of 2019, Fulton had positioned himself as a rising contender in the super bantamweight division. He used post-fight interviews to call out the division’s top names, including Brandon Figueroa and Daniel Roman, which helped build anticipation for a title opportunity. That groundwork paid off when he was matched with Arnold Khegai in January 2020 for the WBO Inter-Continental belt and mandatory challenger status.
WBO Super Bantamweight Champion (2020-2021)
Fulton faced Arnold Khegai on January 25, 2020, at Barclays Center in New York City for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental super bantamweight title and mandatory challenger position. He won a clear unanimous decision with scores of 117-111 and 116-112. When Emanuel Navarrete later vacated the WBO super bantamweight title in July 2020, Fulton was lined up to face Angelo Leo for the vacant crown, but a COVID-19 diagnosis forced him out of that scheduled bout.
Fulton finally got his world title shot on January 23, 2021, at the Park Theater in Las Vegas, against Angelo Leo. He dominated the contest, winning by unanimous decision with lopsided scorecards of 118-110, 119-109, and 119-109. The performance announced his arrival as a world champion and set the stage for an even bigger opportunity the following year.
Unified Super Bantamweight Champion (2021-2023)
On November 27, 2021, at the Park Theater in Las Vegas, Fulton faced WBC super bantamweight titlist Brandon Figueroa in a unification bout, entering as a heavy -340 favorite. He won a twelve-round majority decision with scores of 114-114, 116-112, and 116-112, despite being out-landed 314 to 269 in total punches, by connecting at a higher accuracy rate of 37 percent to Figueroa’s 29.6 percent. The victory made him a unified champion at super bantamweight.
Fulton made his first title defense on June 4, 2022, at the Minneapolis Armory against former unified champion Daniel Roman. In front of a sold-out crowd of 4,695, he won a wide unanimous decision with two scorecards of 120-108 and one of 119-109. He out-landed Roman 218 to 113 in total punches at 36 percent accuracy. After the win, he publicly called for a fight with WBA and IBF super bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
On July 25, 2023, at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, Fulton traveled outside the United States for the first time to challenge Naoya Inoue. The bout was originally scheduled for May 7 but was postponed after Inoue suffered a fist injury during training camp. Fulton suffered his first professional defeat, losing by eighth-round technical knockout, and subsequently vacated his unified super bantamweight titles.
Featherweight Era (2024-Present)
Fulton moved up to the featherweight division and returned on September 14, 2024, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, beating Carlos Castro by split decision in a ten-round bout. The victory positioned him for another world title opportunity, this time at 126 pounds. On October 10, 2024, a WBC featherweight championship clash with Brandon Figueroa was announced for Toyota Center in Houston on December 14, 2024, before the bout was rescheduled to February 1, 2025, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Fulton won the WBC featherweight title by unanimous decision, avenging his earlier unification loss to Figueroa and becoming a two-division world champion. In late August 2025, he was reported to be moving up again to challenge O’Shaquie Foster for the WBC super featherweight title on October 25, 2025, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. After weighing in at 132 pounds, two pounds over the super featherweight limit, the bout was converted to a WBC interim lightweight championship contest, in which Fulton lost by unanimous decision.
Style and Strengths
Fulton is a textbook orthodox boxer whose strengths lie in accuracy, ring IQ, and conditioning rather than raw knockout power. He consistently outperforms opponents in connect percentage, as shown in his title fights against Brandon Figueroa and Daniel Roman, where his accuracy dictated the pace of the bouts. His patience, footwork, and ability to adjust mid-fight have made him difficult to outpoint over twelve rounds.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his career highlights, Fulton’s January 2021 unanimous decision over Angelo Leo earned him a first world title, while his November 2021 majority decision over Brandon Figueroa unified the WBC and WBO super bantamweight belts. His June 2022 sold-out defense in Minneapolis against Daniel Roman stood as a signature performance before his eventual showdown with Naoya Inoue in Tokyo.
Stephen Fulton Jr. Career Wins
Stephen Fulton Jr. has compiled 23 professional wins against two losses, with eight victories coming by knockout. His wins span two world-title reigns, multiple regional and minor belts, and several notable step-up fights against experienced champions and top contenders.
Super Bantamweight Highlights
At super bantamweight, Fulton captured the WBO title against Angelo Leo in January 2021 and added the WBC belt with a majority-decision win over Brandon Figueroa ten months later. He made one successful unified defense, a wide unanimous decision over former unified champion Daniel Roman in June 2022, before vacating the titles following his 2023 loss to Naoya Inoue. Among his super bantamweight wins was also the IBO title captured from Paulus Ambunda in 2019.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside his world-title bouts, Fulton posted notable victories over Arnold Khegai, Isaac Avelar, and Carlos Castro, along with a long streak of developmental wins that built his record to 15-0 before his first major title opportunity. His 2025 unanimous decision over Brandon Figueroa at featherweight added a second divisional championship to his résumé.
Stephen Fulton Jr. Family
Family Background and Boxing Lineage
Fulton developed his boxing roots in Philadelphia, a city renowned for its amateur and professional boxing scene. His professional career has been built on the platform provided by Premier Boxing Champions, which he joined shortly after his 2014 debut.
Personal Life
Stephen Fulton Jr. is widely known by his ring nicknames “Scooter” and “Cool Boy Steph,” reflecting his Philadelphia roots. He has kept most details of his personal and family life private throughout his professional career.
2025 Season Performance
Fulton’s 2025 storyline began with a major achievement, as he won the WBC featherweight title by unanimous decision over Brandon Figueroa on February 1, 2025, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The victory cemented his status as a two-division world champion and marked a successful rebound from his 2023 loss to Naoya Inoue. It also set up options for high-profile unification bouts in either the featherweight or super featherweight divisions.
Later in the year, Fulton moved up in weight to challenge O’Shaquie Foster for the WBC super featherweight title on October 25, 2025, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. After missing the super featherweight weight limit by two pounds at 132 pounds, the fight was changed to a WBC interim lightweight championship contest. Fulton lost by unanimous decision, leaving him with decisions to make about his next divisional move as the calendar turns.