Jesse Rodriguez (24-0, 17 KOs) added a third world title, knocking out Antonio Vargas (19-2-1) in the sixth round to claim the WBA bantamweight championship.
Rodriguez dropped Vargas with a short overhand left in the fourth before closing the show with a straight left hand at the end of a four-punch combination in the sixth — his sixth consecutive stoppage and his first fight at 118 pounds. Rodriguez landed 81 of 213 punches at a 38% connect rate compared to Vargas’ 81 from 279 attempts. The performance immediately reignited talk of a showdown with undisputed bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue. Rodriguez himself left the door open to all options.
“I’m ready for whoever, whenever. Put them in front of me, and I’m going to say yes,” Rodriguez