Panama’s Villar and Rodríguez Set to Clash for First WBA Title – World Boxing Association

A pair of hungry Panamanian prospects will step into the ring on February 22 at Salón Aurora inside SoHo Mall, battling for the vacant WBA Fedecaribe super flyweight title. Santos Villar and Carlos Rodríguez are both chasing their first championship, and neither man plans to leave empty-handed.

At 26 years old, Villar turned pro in 2022 and has had a rollercoaster start to his career, entering the fight with a 3-2 record (2 KOs). He closed out 2024 on a tough note, suffering a TKO loss to fellow Panamanian Ángel Bethancourt on April 4.

But 2025 has been a different story. Villar kicked off the year with an emphatic first-round TKO victory over Abdiel Mojica on January 17, putting himself back in the mix for a title shot.

On the other side of the ring, undefeated Carlos Rodríguez comes in with momentum. The Panama City native holds a record of 6-0-1 (2 KOs) and has been on a tear since his only career blemish—a draw against Jordan Salas, where two judges scored it even while the third had Rodríguez edging it.

Since that fight, Rodríguez has won four straight, with his last two coming by knockout in Santa Marta, Colombia. He stopped José Ramírez (TKO) and José Berríos (KO), showing he can close the show when given the opportunity.

With Rodríguez slightly favored heading into the fight, Villar will be looking to prove the oddsmakers wrong. One thing is certain: on February 22, Panama City is in for an all-out war, and only one man will leave with his first WBA belt.