Main event of the Matchroom Boxing promotion held on June 21 (June 22 Japan time) at the bp Pulse Live Arena in Birmingham, England:
WBC Interim World Flyweight Title Bout.
Reigning champion Galal Yafai (UK), with a record of 9 wins (7 KOs) and no losses, faced mandatory challenger Francisco “Chihuahua” Rodriguez Jr. (Mexico), the former WBO and IBF world minimumweight champion and current No. 1 ranked contender in the division, who held a record of 39 wins (27 KOs), 6 losses, 1 draw, and 1 no contest. Rodriguez Jr. won by decision.
In the opening round, Rodriguez Jr. aggressively set the pace, landing a left uppercut on the southpaw Yafai, followed by a right straight and right body uppercut. Yafai welcomed the exchange, countering with right hooks and left straights. However, a clean left uppercut from Rodriguez Jr. visibly staggered Yafai, who buckled at the knees.
In round two, Rodriguez Jr. mixed in switches to southpaw stance and closed in on Yafai with a variety of punches. Yafai fought back, but Rodriguez Jr. maintained the pressure with left and right uppercuts and hooks. A clash of heads caused a cut above Yafai’s left eye.
In round three, Yafai increased his punch output, pushing forward with left straights and right hooks. However, Rodriguez Jr. responded with a left uppercut followed by a right straight, and also landed a clean one-two combination from the southpaw stance.
Round 4:
The physically stronger Rodriguez Jr. pressed forward, landing left and right uppercuts and a right straight from range. However, Yafai responded by landing a left straight and hooks of his own.
Round 5:
Both fighters increased their output, exchanging punches throughout the round. Rodriguez Jr. kept Yafai guessing with a variety of punches, while Yafai responded with left straights and right hooks.
Round 6:
Yafai mounted a comeback, landing body shots from both hands followed by a right straight. Still, Rodriguez Jr. did not back down. In the closing moments of the round, both men engaged in a furious exchange.
Round 7:
Rodriguez Jr. came out aggressively, landing a left to the body and a left hook. A powerful right hook shook Yafai’s knees, forcing him to stagger backward.
Round 8:
Rodriguez Jr. showed no signs of slowing down, continuing to press forward with high punch volume. He landed a left uppercut followed by a right straight, and then a right body uppercut. Although Yafai fought back while being backed up, his fatigue was evident, and his punch speed had noticeably decreased.
Round 9:
At the start of the round, both fighters were subjected to a doctor’s check. Yafai tried to rally and move forward, but Rodriguez Jr. landed a flurry of straight punches followed by uppercuts and hooks from both sides, sending Yafai stumbling backward and putting him in trouble.
Round 10:
A left hook from Rodriguez Jr. visibly rocked Yafai. Rodriguez Jr. continued to dominate with a variety of combinations, finishing to the body and pressing Yafai as he maintained the upper hand.
Round 11:
Rodriguez Jr. showed no signs of fatigue, unleashing sharp left and right straights followed by fluid combinations both inside and out. Yafai was clearly in trouble.
Round 12:
Early in the final round, Rodriguez Jr. dropped Yafai with a barrage of punches that began with a right hook. Yafai managed to survive the onslaught using his footwork and desperate clinching, holding on until the final bell to display the pride of a champion. It was a thrilling bout.
Official scores:
Kevin Parker (UK) 119–108
David Bilocerkowec (Canada) 119–108
Chris Tellez (USA) 118–109
Though there were concerns ahead of the bout due to Rodriguez Jr. not having fought at the flyweight limit in recent years, he maintained his pace from the opening round to the final bell. His high volume, speed, and varied punching overwhelmed Yafai. On his third attempt at a second-division title, Rodriguez Jr. finally succeeded—becoming a two-weight world champion, albeit in interim status.
Galal Yafai, the Tokyo Olympic flyweight gold medalist, failed in his first defense of the WBC Interim World Flyweight title, which he had won by dominating and stopping former IBF world champion and then-ranked No. 3 Sunny Edwards (UK) via a 6th-round TKO on November 30, 2023 (December 1 Japan time) at Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, UK.
In the Edwards bout, Yafai came out aggressively from the opening round, effectively neutralizing Edwards’ strengths. However, on this night, Rodriguez Jr. mirrored Yafai’s previous approach, starting aggressively and forcing a high-paced fight. As the bout progressed into the middle and later rounds, Yafai faded significantly. Rodriguez Jr. showcased the difference in professional experience between the two.
In the co-main event, a 10-round bout for the WBA International Super Bantamweight Title, WBA No. 6 Peter McGrail (UK) — now 11 wins (6 KOs), 1 loss — faced WBO No. 13 Ionut Baluta (Romania) — 17 wins (3 KOs), 5 losses, 1 draw. McGrail captured the title by decision.
The scores were:
- Leszek Jankowiak (Poland): 97–93 McGrail
- Olena Pobyvailo (Belgium): 97–93 McGrail
- Bob Williams (UK): 95–95
Resulting in a majority decision win (2–0) for McGrail.
Olympic gold medalist Galal Yafai was overwhelmed by an opponent with relentless volume punching. We look forward to his comeback in the future!
This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.
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