Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Antonio Vargas previewed their bout and came face to face at the final press conference. The two fighters square off this Saturday, June 13, at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Vargas puts his WBA bantamweight title on the line.
Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas, looks to become a three-division world champion. The 26-year-old southpaw previously held unified titles at flyweight and super flyweight.
“Always ready to go. Always 100 percent ready mentally, physically,” Rodriguez said. “This is just another step in my career. I’ve been training just as hard as any other fight. I never look past any opponent. I know each opponent is coming to take what I have, but I make sure that doesn’t happen every time I step inside the gym and give 110 percent and I’m just ready to go out there and give the fans a great fight.”
“I’m constantly trying to challenge myself. If it’s not a world title fight, then it really doesn’t interest me, even if it’s just a simple defense, it doesn’t get me going inside the gym. So when I got the opportunity to fight Antonio Vargas for another world title in another weight division, I was on goal right away.”
“Antonio is an Olympian, he’s a world champion. The fact that I’m able to move up to a new weight class and that be my first fight, it means everything to me. I’m ready to go out there and capture the moment.”
“I feel like I haven’t even shown 50 percent of what I’m capable of, but the tougher the opponent, then the better my performance. Antonio is going to bring out another percentage of ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, and I can’t wait to go out there and show it. I’m feeling much better at this weight class, much sharper, stronger and faster.”
“Just expect another spectacular performance and I’m ready to go out there and make it happen.”
‘I’m fighting one of the best fighters in boxing right now’
Houston’s 29-year-old Antonio Vargas (19-1-1, 11 KOs) defends his title after being reinstated as champion, while Seiya Tsutsumi was declared “Champion in Recess”.
“I do believe things are going to go in my favor,” Vargas said. “I’ve trained hard for this fight, and I look forward to proving to the world who I am. I’m just focused on ‘Bam’. I know after I beat him, it opens up so many more doors for me. So I’m tunnel vision right now and I’m just focused, just to get this win and get that out the way, and then whatever comes after that comes.”
“I’m really excited. I’ve trained my whole life for this moment, and I believe this will be one of many more moments to come. I’m prepared and I want to give the fans a good fight. I’m fighting one of the best fighters in boxing right now, so I’m really excited to put a good performance on for the fans.”
Among the bouts featured on the Rodriguez vs Vargas undercard, Elif Nur Turhan (13-0, 8 KOs) of Turkiye makes the second defense of her IBF lightweight title against Gabriela Tellez (7-0, 3 KOs) of Vero Beach, Florida.
Mexico’s Arturo Cardenas (17-0-2, 9 KOs) defends his WBC Continental Americas super bantamweight title against Jordan Martinez (16-0-1, 15 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona.
A lightweight bout pits Adrian Rodriguez (10-0, 6 KOs) of Glendale, Arizona, against Elias Montoya Terraza (13-0, 8 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona.