In an interesting move today, Matchroom Boxing clinched the opportunity to host the WBC interim flyweight title bout between Galal Yafai and Francisco Rodriguez Jr. There was no competition in the purse bid, allowing Matchroom to secure the event with their offer of $222,222.
According to Jake Donovan, the winner of this much-anticipated fight will go on to challenge unified champion Kenshiro Teraji. The showdown is expected to take place around June or July.
Yafai, who boasts a pristine record of 9 wins with 7 coming by knockout, is fresh from his most significant victory, which saw him send Sunny Edwards into early retirement. Yafai’s pedigree is evidenced by his Olympic gold medal from Tokyo. On the other hand, Rodriguez might not have a flashy record, but his career tally of 39-6-1 with 27 knockouts speaks volumes. He’s anticipated to present a formidable challenge for Yafai, particularly if he successfully drops down from his longer stay in the 115-pound category. It’s been a decade since Rodriguez was last stopped by the legendary “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, and he has shown he can hang tough, even against elite fighters like Kazuto Ioka.
Once Matchroom sets this one on the calendar, we’ll be sure to update you. It’s shaping up to be an exciting bout that fans surely won’t want to miss.
