Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez Stops Antonio Vargas & Calls Out Inoue
Glendale, Arizona (June 17th, 2026)– Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez defeated Antonio Vargas via a sixth-round knockout (1:15) on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, to capture the WBA bantamweight world championship. With this victory, the 26-year-old Rodriguez improved his undefeated record to (24-0, 17 KOs) and officially became a three-division world champion, adding the 118-pound title to his previous championships at flyweight and super flyweight.
Vargas utilized his size and a steady stream of straight combinations down the middle to find early success, occasionally piercing Rodriguez’s defense.
Rodriguez shifted gears in the fifth round, dropping Vargas hard with a powerful overhand left.
In the sixth round, Rodriguez staggered Vargas again before sealing the fight with a devastating straight left hand to the nose at the end of a multi-punch combination. Vargas failed to beat the referee’s count.
After the fight, Rodriguez called out undisputed super-bantamweight champion Naoya “The Monster” Inoue, setting the stage for a potential pound-for-pound super-fight.
Main card
WBA bantamweight title: Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez def. Antonio Vargas via sixth-round TKO | Watch finish
Super bantamweight: Arturo Cardenas def. Jordan Martinez via unanimous decision (100-90, 98-92, 97-93)
IBF lightweight title: Elif Nur Turhan def. Gabriela Tellez via unanimous decision (96-94 ×3)
Lightweight: Elias Montoya Terraza def. Adrian Rodriguez via second-round TKO | Watch finish
