Jesse Rodriguez Stops Antonio Vargas to Claim WBA Title and Become Three-Division Champion

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez added another world title to his growing collection in Arizona, and he did it in brutal fashion.

Rodriguez entered the night chasing history against Antonio Vargas and left with the WBA World Bantamweight Title after ending matters in the sixth round. It was another reminder that the unbeaten Texan is operating at a different level right now.

Main Event

Jesse Rodriguez moved to 24-0 with a sixth-round stoppage of Antonio Vargas, who remains 19-1-1.

The judges had Rodriguez ahead 48-46 on all three scorecards through five rounds, which felt about right. Vargas wasn’t being blown away and had his moments, but Bam was the cleaner and more accurate fighter from the opening bell.

That advantage became decisive in round six.

Rodriguez found the finish at 1:15 of the round, ending the fight suddenly and securing the WBA bantamweight crown. No surprise result in the end, but the manner of victory certainly made a statement.

Other Fights

Elif Nur Turhan remained unbeaten after outpointing Gabriela Tellez over ten rounds in their IBF World Lightweight title fight.

All three judges turned in identical 96-94 scorecards in favour of Turhan. It was clearly competitive, but Turhan did enough in the eyes of the officials to edge every card and keep her perfect record intact.

 

Arturo Cardenas made a statement in the WBC Continental Americas Super Bantamweight title bout, earning a dominant ten-round decision over Jordan Martinez.

The judges scored it 97-93, 98-92 and a shutout 100-90 for Cardenas. Those cards tell the story. Cardenas controlled the fight from start to finish and never really allowed Martinez to build any momentum.

 

Adrian Rodriguez wasted little time against Elias Montoya Terraza, ending matters in round two at 2:30. A quick night’s work and another win for the unbeaten prospect.

Final Thoughts

The big story was Bam Rodriguez once again proving why so many rate him among boxing’s elite. Vargas came in as a world champion and left having been stopped, while Rodriguez walked away with another belt and even bigger fights on the horizon.

Fight Highlights Live Stream