Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez added another milestone to his unbeaten career by claiming a world title in a third weight division, stopping Antonio Vargas in the sixth round to win the WBA bantamweight championship in Glendale, Arizona.
The 26-year-old American produced a commanding performance at Desert Diamond Arena, dropping Vargas in the fourth round before finishing the fight with a powerful left hand in the sixth. The referee stepped in shortly afterward, awarding Rodriguez a technical knockout victory.
The win extends Rodriguez’s flawless professional record to 24 victories and adds the bantamweight crown to the world titles he has already held at flyweight and super-flyweight.
Rodriguez outperformed Vargas throughout the contest, landing 81 of his 213 punches for an accuracy rate of 38%. Vargas connected with the same number of punches, 81, but required 279 attempts and landed at 29%.
Following the victory, Rodriguez made it clear he is open to any challenge that comes next.
“I’m ready for whoever, whenever,” he said. “Put them in front of me, and I’m going to say yes.”
The newly crowned champion could remain at bantamweight and pursue a unification bout with WBO title holder Christian Medina. Another possibility is a move up to super-bantamweight, where a high-profile showdown with undisputed champion Naoya Inoue has already been discussed.
Despite the defeat, Vargas earned praise from Rodriguez for his resilience. The defending champion recovered after being knocked down in the fourth round and continued to fight aggressively until the stoppage.
“He was a lot tougher than I thought,” Rodriguez said. “He had good pop in his punches. I didn’t think he had pop like that.
“Even after that first knockdown, he got up and he was fighting like it never even happened. Respect to him.”
The loss was only the second of Vargas’ professional career and his first defeat since 2019. The American had entered the bout as WBA bantamweight champion after drawing with Daigo Higa in his first title defence last July.
For Rodriguez, the victory further strengthens his reputation as one of boxing’s elite fighters and opens the door to several major championship opportunities in the months ahead.