Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez has made the decision to relinquish his IBF flyweight title as he prepares for his upcoming bout against WBC junior bantamweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada on June 29 in Glendale, Arizona. Rodriguez, with a professional record of 19-0 and 12 knockouts, is considered ESPN's top fighter under the age of 25 for 2023. In his most recent victory, Rodriguez secured the IBF belt by defeating Sunny Edwards via a ninth-round TKO in December, adding to his existing WBO title.
The 24-year-old southpaw from San Antonio, Texas, claimed the WBC junior bantamweight title in February 2022 with a unanimous decision win over Carlos Cuadras. He successfully defended the title twice, first with an eighth-round TKO against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and then with a unanimous decision victory over Israel Gonzalez. Rodriguez then moved down to the flyweight division, where he captured the WBO belt by defeating Christian Gonzalez via unanimous decision before unifying the IBF title against Edwards.
Following his impressive performance against Edwards, promoter Eddie Hearn commended Rodriguez, describing him as 'super special' and praising his skills in the ring. Hearn emphasized the significance of recognizing talent in lower weight classes, highlighting Rodriguez's potential as a pound-for-pound great.
In a statement released on Friday, the IBF extended their well wishes to Jesse Rodriguez for his future endeavors in boxing. The organization announced that IBF's top contender Angel Ayala and third-ranked Dave Apolinaro have a 30-day window, starting from March 28, to come to terms for a bout to determine the new IBF flyweight champion in light of Rodriguez's decision to vacate the title.
