The potential bout between Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Fernando Daniel Martinez has a date. The contest is penciled in for the undercard of David Benavidez vs Anthony Yarde. The event takes place at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 22.
Two-weight champion Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs) is first scheduled to face Phumelele Cafu (11-0-3, 8 KOs) on July 19 at Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. The pair square off in a two-belt super flyweight championship unification.
Undefeated 25-year-old southpaw Rodriguez of San Antonio, TX brings his WBC belt to the ring. Unbeaten 26-year-old Cafu of South Africa puts his WBO title on the line.
Martinez (18-0, 9 KOs) of Argentina holds the division’s WBA strap. The 33-year-old made his first successful championship defense in May, defeating Kazuto Ioka by unanimous decision in a rematch.
If Jesse Rodriguez succeeds in his bout against Cafu, his planned fight against Martinez is expected to see a championship unification with three belts at stake, which makes it a step away from the undisputed title.
Mexico’s Willibaldo Garcia Perez (23-6-2, 13 KOs) is the newly crowned IBF 115-pound champion. The 35-year-old defeated Rene Calixto Bibiano by split decision in a rematch for the vacant belt in May.
Turki Alalshikh, Saudi Arabia’s Minister and Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, confirmed the date and venue for the Benavidez vs Yarde event in a post on social media.
Unbeaten two-division champion Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) of Phoenix, AZ puts his WBC light heavyweight title on the line. Anthony Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) of the UK makes his third attempt to become champion.
Also confirmed for the event is the WBO welterweight title fight between defending champion Brian Norman Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) of Decatur, GA and former two-weight champion Devin Haney (32-0, 1 NC) of San Francisco, CA. Plus, Abdullah Mason (19-0, 17 KOs) of Bedford, Ohio and Sam Noakes (23-1, 17 KOs) of the UK battle it out for the vacant WBO lightweight title.