Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez becomes world champion in his third weight class with a dominant knockout victory over Antonio Vargas in Arizona
On Saturday night at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez needed just six rounds to knock out Antonio Vargas and claim the WBA bantamweight world title. The boxing event, organized by Matchroom, was broadcast live on DAZN.
One could argue that Rodriguez (24-0, 17 KOs) narrowly lost the first round. But by the second round, the exceptional boxer had found his rhythm and began landing his punches consistently. A hard left hand sent Vargas’s knees buckling, followed by more precise lefts to the head and body. Nevertheless, Vargas (19-2-1, 11 KOs) showed great spirit and ended the round as the more aggressive fighter.
Vargas continued his strong performance in rounds three and four, winning both rounds on the unofficial scorecards. Despite the successful start, however, the challenger found himself in serious trouble in the fifth round. A left hook to the chin sent Vargas to the canvas. Although he got back on his feet relatively easily, the end was already in sight.
Rodriguez kept up the pressure and forced his opponent to retreat. Vargas initially held his ground and made it through the round until the bell rang.
In the sixth round, Rodriguez finally sealed the deal. With a quick flurry of punches, he sent Vargas to the canvas once again. The referee then officially stopped the fight 1 minute and 15 seconds into the sixth round. With the early victory, Rodriguez secured the WBA bantamweight title and added another chapter to his successful career as a world champion in three weight classes.
On the undercard, Elif Nur Turhan (14-0, 8 KOs) also successfully defended her title. The undefeated champion defended her IBF lightweight world title with a unanimous decision victory over Gabriela Tellez (7-1, 3 KOs).