For the first time since 2021, Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez is no longer a world champion ahead of his WBA bantamweight title fight with Antonio Vargas. Rodriguez was
For the first time since 2021, Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez is no longer a world champion ahead of hisRodriguez was scheduled to make his 118-pound debut against Vargas, the WBA titleholder, on Saturday as the WBC, WBA, WBO andsuper flyweight champion.
However, the 26-year-old has officially vacated those titles ahead of his clash with Vargas,Salazar reported the news based on a conversation with Rodriguez's head trainer, Robert Garcia, who retweeted the news to confirm his fighter's move. Some organizations have also announced the move,Rodriguez's title vacation confirms his decision to fully commit to the bantamweight division, which he already stated was his plan all along.
The 26-year-old has made it no secret his ultimate goal is to secure a fight with the near-consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Naoya Inoue, who defended the undisputed 122-pound titles against Junto Nakatani in May. Salazar added that Garcia revealed Rodriguez's plan after his rendezvous with Vargas. According to the reporter, 'Bam' hopes to claim the WBA bantamweight title on Saturday before adding another belt to his collection in October or November.
Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez reacts after knocking out Juan Francisco | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK Rodriguez's schedule gives him three names to target if he gets past Vargas on Saturday. However, there will only be one fighter on his mind on Sunday morning if everything goes according to plan in Glendale. Rodriguez has also made it clear who his next target is should he beat Vargas to become the WBA bantamweight champion.
, Takuma Inoue, who currently owns the WBC 118-pound title. By fighting and beating Takuma Inoue, Rodriguez believes he would leave no other option but to set up a super fight with Naoya Inoue in 2027. Naoya Inoue vs. Jesse Rodriguez is the fight Ring Magazine owner Turki Alalshikh has wanted since 'The Monster' handed Nakatani his first professional loss.
If it is not Takuma Inoue, Rodriguez could also face WBO bantamweight champion Christian Medina or IBF titleholder Jose Salas Reyes. Yet, assuming everything goes well against Vargas, all signs point to a unification bout with the younger Inoue brother to set up a top-five pound-for-pound matchup. Neither Rodriguez nor Naoya Inoue has ever been an underdog in their professional careers, further adding to the high stakes of the massive matchup. But first, Rodriguez has to handle business with Vargas.
Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsJaren Kawada is a combat sports writer who specializes in betting, with over five years of experience in boxing and MMA. When he is not covering the sport, Kawada is an avid MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing practitioner. Kawada has previous bylines with ClutchPoints, Sportskeeda MMA, BetSided and FanSided MMA.
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kawada has a B.A. in Sports Media from Butler University and now resides in Denver, Colorado.
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