Bam vs. Vargas

Main Card

Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez vs. Antonio Vargas: Rodriguez wins by TKO in the 6th round.

Arturo Cardenas vs. Jordan Martinez: Cardenas wins by UD.

Elif Nur Turhan vs. Gabriela Tellez: Turhan wins by UD (96–94, 96–94, 96–94).

Elias Montoya Terraza vs. Adrian Rodriguez: Montoya Terraza wins by TKO in the 2nd round.

Unified junior bantamweight champion Jesse Rodriguez steps up in weight to challenge WBA bantamweight champion Antonio Vargas on June 13 in Glendale, Arizona.

Rodriguez enters the bout riding a dominant run, having stopped his last five opponents. Victories over Sunny Edwards, Juan Francisco Estrada, Pedro Guevara, Phumelele Cafu, and Fernando Martinez have solidified his standing as one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters. Now, he aims to carry that momentum into a third weight class.

Watch Bam vs. Martinez highlights: Watch

“New weight class, same goals – dominate and pick up all the belts,” Rodriguez said, outlining his ambition to become a three-division world champion. The announcement also confirmed that he has signed a multifight extension with Matchroom Boxing.

Vargas was recently elevated to full WBA champion after a scheduled bout with Seiya Tsutsumi fell through due to injury. The American last fought to a draw against Daigo Higa in July and has remained unbeaten since suffering a knockout loss in 2019.

Fully aware of the challenge ahead, Vargas welcomed the fight. “Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and that’s exactly why I took this fight,” he said, adding that he is ready to defend his title and prove himself among the best at bantamweight.

In the main card, Elif Nur Turhan will defend her IBF lightweight title against Gabriela Tellez.

Turhan (13-0, 8 KOs) enters as The Ring’s No. 1 lightweight and will be making the second defense of her title. She won the belt by stopping Beatriz Ferreira in the fifth round last December, then defended it with a split decision over Taylah Gentzen in January.

Watch Turhan vs. Ferreira highlights: Watch

Tellez (7-0, 3 KOs) is unbeaten but taking a major step up in class. The 19-year-old from Florida last fought in February, stopping Crystal Garcia Nova in the second round, and now gets her first world title opportunity against one of the division’s top names.