Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez Makes Major Career Move Ahead of Antonio Vargas Fight

For the first time since 2021, Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez is no longer a world champion ahead of his WBA bantamweight title fight with Antonio Varga s.

Rodriguez was scheduled to make his 118-pound debut against Vargas, the WBA titleholder, on Saturday as the WBC, WBA, WBO and The Ring super flyweight champion. However, the 26-year-old has officially vacated those titles ahead of his clash with Vargas, Francisco Salazar of BoxingScene reported on Wednesday.

Salazar reported the news based on a conversation with Rodriguez's head trainer, Robert Garcia, who retweeted the news to confirm his fighter's move. Some organizations have also announced the move, such as the WBC.

Jesse Rodriguez | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Rodriguez's title vacation confirms his decision to fully commit to the bantamweight division, which he already stated was his plan all along. The 26-year-old has made it no secret his ultimate goal is to secure a fight with the near-consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Naoya Inoue, who defended the undisputed 122-pound titles against Junto Nakatani in May.

Salazar added that Garcia revealed Rodriguez's plan after his rendezvous with Vargas. According to the reporter, 'Bam' hopes to claim the WBA bantamweight title on Saturday before adding another belt to his collection in October or November.

Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez targeting another world title fight at end of 2026

Rodriguez's schedule gives him three names to target if he gets past Vargas on Saturday. However, there will only be one fighter on his mind on Sunday morning if everything goes according to plan in Glendale.

Rodriguez has also made it clear who his next target is should he beat Vargas to become the WBA bantamweight champion. 'Bam' is targeting a fight with Inoue's younger brother, Takuma Inoue, who currently owns the WBC 118-pound title.

By fighting and beating Takuma Inoue, Rodriguez believes he would leave no other option but to set up a super fight with Naoya Inoue in 2027. Naoya Inoue vs. Jesse Rodriguez is the fight Ring Magazine owner Turki Alalshikh has wanted since 'The Monster' handed Nakatani his first professional loss.

If it is not Takuma Inoue, Rodriguez could also face WBO bantamweight champion Christian Medina or IBF titleholder Jose Salas Reyes. Yet, assuming everything goes well against Vargas, all signs point to a unification bout with the younger Inoue brother to set up a top-five pound-for-pound matchup.

Neither Rodriguez nor Naoya Inoue has ever been an underdog in their professional careers, further adding to the high stakes of the massive matchup. But first, Rodriguez has to handle business with Vargas.

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