[3] He initially retired from the sport after the 2016 Summer Olympics, but has returned to international competition[4] and has competed at the 2018 World Weightlifting Championships.

[11][12] Earlier in 2016 Figueroa had surgery to repair his chronic back pain caused by a lumbar hernia,[13] and returned to the Olympics hoping to win gold.

After attempting and failing to lift 179 kg to set a new Olympic Record, Figueroa took off his shoes and placed them on the platform, signaling his immediate retirement from the sport.

[6][15] Figueroa participated in the men's -62 kg class at the 2006 World Weightlifting Championships and won the silver medal, finishing behind Qiu Le.

This was due to Figueroa failing to report his whereabouts in a timely manner so the IWF could perform surprise doping tests as required by international anti-doping regulations.