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Home » Figueroa unsure what Adrien Broner he’ll face after mental issues

Figueroa unsure what Adrien Broner he’ll face after mental issues

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  • 3 min read

Omar Figueroa is unsure what Adrien Broner he will meet after both suffered mental health problems ahead of their fight next week.

Figueroa Jr. held a San Antonio media workout where he revealed his own wellness struggles in the past.

Mental struggles

“I’m just worried about this fight. I’m not looking at anything else. I don’t know how I’m going to feel, physically and mentally,” said Figueroa.

“So much has changed in the past year. I’ve gone through so much since I was diagnosed with my mental health. It’s been tough.

“I’ve been doing this for 27 years now. So, I’m really looking forward to this fight.

“My mental health diagnosis has been my biggest thing for me the past few years. After my last fight, I knew there was something wrong.

“We did everything we needed to do in camp. We prepared right to make sure we were 100%. Everything went wrong in that fight.

“I started questioning myself and wondering why the heck everything went so badly. I spoke to my doctor and was diagnosed with all these mental health issues.

“That’s when I realized maybe the problem was me all along. I’ve been working on myself so much.

“I’m just grateful to SHOWTIME and my team. We’re excited to show how far we’ve come.”

Adrien Broner

On Broner, Figueroa added: “Honestly, there was a time when I was a little bit jealous of Broner. He had such an amazing career.

“Like me, things got to us. As we all know, things haven’t gone the smoothest for us. So, I’m getting the word out about mental health and doing more to bring it to the mainstream.

“I’m glad my opponent is Adrien Broner because he’s a great advocate for that too. I feel he can make a huge difference if he sheds a little bit of light on it.

“Other than that, this is a great opportunity. I know it’s going to be a hell of a fight.

“I don’t watch his stuff online and see what he’s doing. Even if he does start trash-talking, it’s all part of the show.

“He’s been through his share of struggles. I can say I honestly respect Adrien Broner.

“I’m not sure what kind of dance partner I’ll see. This is going to be a great fight for the fans of the sport.”

Macho

Figueroa admitted he found it hard to open up about his own struggles due to being surrounded by the macho Mexican culture.

“Growing up in the Mexican culture, it’s a lot of ‘It’s all in your head. It doesn’t really exist.’ So, I had to look into it alone.

“I didn’t have the support of my family when it came to that. Even now, they still kind of struggle to see that. I feel it’s very taboo to a lot of people.

“Thankfully, I’m in a position where, having the platform I have, I’m able to shed some light on it and show that we’re all just human.

“Us boxers may look like we’re invincible, getting punched and cut and fighting through it, but we’re human at the end of the day.

“I finally took a break and looked inward and started taking care of myself, accepting the fact that I’m human, that I hurt.

“That I can get anxiety and that I can get depressed.”

The super lightweight battle against four-division world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner is live on Saturday, August 20, on SHOWTIME.

Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.

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