San Antonios Jesse Bam Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs) is set to battle for the WBA Bantamweight Title against defending champion Antonio Vargas (19-1-1, 11 KOs) in a 12-round main event Saturday night in Glendale, Arizona. The event will be Rodriguezs first fight this year and first in the bantamweight division. The undefeated champ and ESPNs No. 3 pound-for-pound boxer in the world recently vacated his WBC, WBA and WBO super flyweight titles ahead of the Vargas fight as he plans to compete in the 118-pound bantamweight division for the time being. THE FINAL FACE-OFF @210bam vs Antonio Vargas WBA World Bantamweight Title#BamVargas live on DAZN pic.twitter.com/YRmiwI6z9t Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) June 12, 2026 Rodriguez spoke at a press conference in Desert Diamond Arena on Friday ahead of the big fight and addressed the all-in stakes he set for himself. (Im) constantly trying to challenge myself, Rodriguez said. If its not a world title fight, then it really doesnt interest me. Or even if its just a simple defense, it really doesnt interest me or get me going inside the gym. Rodriguez, 26, isnt a fan of plan Bs. By eliminating his fallback leverage to potentially reclassify in the 115-pound class, hes set to compete in the 118-pound division, or heavier, going forward. Im feeling much better at this weight class ... the fact that I dont have to lose that extra three pounds, Rodriguez said. So, just expect another spectacular performance, and Im ready to go out there and make it happen. The question will be whether Rodriguez can dominate at this level like he did in the lighter-weight divisions before eventually reaching his ultimate goal of fighting the undisputed No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Naoya Inoue. Ask him? Theres no doubt in his mind that the answer is yes. I feel like I havent even shown 50% of what Im capable of, Rodriguez said. But the tougher the opponent, then the bigger my performance. And Antonio Vargas, I feel like hes going to bring out another percentage of Bam Rodriguez, and I cant wait to go out there and show it. Bam is a massive betting favorite over Vargas, with the money line currently ranging between -2000 and -3335 in his favor across major sportsbooks. Rodriguez vs. Vargas will air on DAZN, with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. CT.