Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez will attempt to win a world title in his third weight class on Saturday, June 13, when he defeats WBA bantamweight champion Antonio Vargas at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The 12-round main event caps off the card promoted by Matchroom Boxing in association with Boxlab Promotions, with the main card streaming on DAZN beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

Rodriguez arrives at 118 with a pristine slate

Rodriguez, with a record of 23-0 and 16 knockouts, enters the fight just days after formally leaving the junior bantamweight division. The 26-year-old San Antonio fighter relinquished his WBA, WBC and WBO 115-pound titles this week, and trainer Robert Garcia confirmed that letters have been sent to all three sanctioning bodies. Both the WBC and WBO issued statements declaring their world titles vacant.

His streak at 115 pounds included a seventh-round knockout of Juan Francisco Estrada in June 2024, a tenth-round stoppage of Phumelele Cafu in July 2025 and a tenth-round knockout of Fernando Martinez in November 2025 in Riyad; this victory united three of the four main belts. Rodriguez also holds the WBO flyweight title, which he won in 2023 against Cristian Gonzalez and unified with Sunlit Edwards.

“Recent weight class, same goals,” Rodriguez said after the fight was announced. “Dominate and win all the belts.”

Rodriguez has a storied history in the Phoenix area, where he stopped Edwards at the Desert Diamond Arena in December 2023 and knocked out Estrada at the nearby Footprint Center. The card landed in Glendale after San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center, a favorite Matchroom venue, was held pending a potential San Antonio Spurs playoff date.

Vargas defends as a weighty underdog

Vargas (19-1-1, 11 knockouts) is a 29-year-old former United States Olympian from Kissimmee, Florida, who represented his country at the 2016 Rio Games. He won the WBA interim title against Winston Guerrero in December 2024, was promoted to full champion and fought Daigo Higa to a draw in Japan in July 2025. After repeatedly postponing his fight against former champion Seiya Tsutsumi, Vargas was once again recognized as the full champion of the division.

“It’s the type of fight every fighter dreams of,” Vargas said during fight week. The champion enters as a significant underdog; According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Rodriguez is down 2,500 and Vargas is up 950.

A victory for Rodriguez would make him a three-division world champion. The WBO in its statement this week addressed a potential future meeting between Rodriguez and his bantamweight champion Cristian “Chispa” Medina, while multiple reports indicate Naoya Inoue is a long-term target at 122 pounds.

Undercard TV broadcast

Elif Nur Turhan vs. Gabriela Tellez, IBF women’s lightweight title, 10 rounds. Turhan (13-0, 8 knockouts), of Istanbul’s Turkiye, is defending for the second time the belt she won with a fifth-round stoppage of Beatriz Ferreira in December. The 31-year-old defended her title by split decision in a match against Taylah Gentzen on January 31. Tellez, with a record of 7-0 and 3 knockouts, is a 19-year-old from San Antonio who received her first chance to win a world title. Coached by Jose Benavidez Sr., she stopped Crystal Garcia Nova in her last appearance in February.

Arturo Cardenas vs. Jordan Martinez 2, junior bantamweight…junior featherweight, 10 rounds. Cardenas (17-0-2, 9 knockouts) of Sahuayo, Mexico, and Martinez of Phoenix (16-0-1, 15 knockouts) will face each other in a direct rematch after a draw on February 28 at the same arena. Martinez has a higher knockout percentage while Cardenas relied on his technical approach, and the first fight produced clearly split scorecards.

Adrian Rodriguez vs. Elias Montoya Terraza, lightweight, 10 rounds. The meeting of two undefeated lightweights has at least one undefeated record. Rodriguez is 10-0 with 6 knockouts and Terraza is 13-0 with 8 knockouts.

Many names have been linked to Shakur Stevenson since winning the super lightweight title, but there is one fighter who former sparring partner Regis Prograis believes will beat the promotion’s star pound for pound if given the opportunity.

Since winning the WBO 140-pound crown with a comprehensive defeat of Teofimo Lopez, Stevenson has been called upon to fight Conor Benn, Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis.

Another man who has demanded a fight with Stevenson is the two-time and current WBC super featherweight world champion, O’Shaquie Foster, who defeated Raymond Ford to defend his belt last month.

I’m talking to YSM sports mediaPrograis praised Foster’s talent, saying the only person who can beat the Texan is himself, despite the 32-year-old’s three previous losses.

“I’ve been saying this about O’Shaq forever. At one point I was number one in the world at 140 pounds, he was getting close to 130 pounds and I was telling people Shaq was the truth because his name is so miniature.

“He didn’t have a name, but for a long time I was always into Shaq. I’ve known Shaq basically since I was a kid, so I know how good he was, he was just, naturally, really good.

“He works strenuous and has an attitude. Shaq has been through a lot of things, and when you go through things like that, your attitude changes, you have a different way of thinking. It’s going to be strenuous to beat someone like Shaq.

“I really don’t think someone like him could be beaten, he can only beat himself, he has initial failures and that’s what happened to him, he kind of beat himself.”

Prograis – who recently said he supports Stevenson defeating Haney should they fight – then explained why he thinks Foster is the man to hand the star his first defeat.

“Yes, [I would favour Foster over Stevenson]. I’ve certainly been in the ring with Shaq more often, but I’m telling you, I beat Shakur.

“He’s a natural, he can switch; he can play southpaw and orthodox, equally good on both sides. Shaq can take a punch, Shaq has really good footwork, and Shaq has strength too. He doesn’t have that much one-punch knockout power, but he has strength that you have to respect because it’s going to hurt.”

“I know how good Shakur is. Shakur is a very talented fighter, but for me right now I have Shaq.”

To get into that fight, Foster would have to move up two weight classes and fight for Stevenson’s super lightweight title, or force Stevenson to withdraw and meet him at 135 pounds.

The World Boxing Organization announced Wednesday that Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez has officially relinquished his world junior bantamweight title, moving up to 118 pounds.

“The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has received and officially accepted confirmation from Team Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez that he is relinquishing the WBO Junior Bantamweight (115-pound) World Championship as he begins the next chapter of his extraordinary career by moving up to the Bantamweight (118-pound) division in his pursuit of a third WBO world championship in a modern weight class,” the organization said in an official statement.

Rodriguez, 26, of San Antonio is 23-0 with 16 knockouts. He previously held the WBO flyweight title, which he won against Cristian Gonzalez in April 2023, and unified with Sunlit Edwards later that year. He won the WBO 115-pound belt by defeating Phumelele Cafu in July 2025.

“Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez leaves the 115-pound division as a proud two-division WBO world champion and one of the greatest fighters of his generation,” the WBO statement continued. “His extraordinary talent, technical brilliance, unwavering professionalism and championship spirit have cemented his place among boxing’s elite and firmly position him as one of the sport’s greatest pound-for-pound fighters.”

The 115-pound weight loss is complete

The WBO announcement marks the end of Rodriguez’s departure from the junior bantamweight division, where he held the WBA, WBC and WBO titles. Coach Robert Garcia said this week that waiver letters have been sent to all three sanctioning bodies. On Tuesday, the WBC announced the vacant championship and in a statement thanked Rodriguez for representing the organization.

The WBO said the process to fill the 115-pound vacancy is already underway. “An official announcement regarding the championship vacancy is imminent and will be published shortly,” the statement read.

Vargas fights on Saturday in Glendale

Rodriguez will face WBA bantamweight champion Antonio Vargas 19-1-1 with 11 knockouts on Saturday, June 13 at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Card promoted by Matchroom Boxing in cooperation with Boxlab Promotions, broadcasts worldwide on DAZN. A victory would make Rodriguez a three-division world champion.

The WBO also hinted at a potential fight with its 118-pound champion. “As his goal is to win the 118-pound world title and ultimately face a future fight against reigning WBO bantamweight world champion Cristian “Chispa” Medina, we wish Jesse every success, good health and continued excellence in all of his future endeavors, starting with his upcoming fight,” the statement read.

“On behalf of the entire WBO family, we extend our honest gratitude and best wishes to Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez,” the organization added. “The doors of the World Boxing Organization will always remain open to a champion who represented the values ​​of excellence, honor and sportsmanship at the highest level.”