Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez was determined to further unify the junior bantamweight division for his next outing.
Patience and perseverance paid off for the two-division champ. BoxingScene has confirmed that San Antonio’s Rodriguez, 21-0 (14 KOs) will next face South Africa’s Phumelela Cafu, 11-0-3 (8 KOs) atop a July 19 DAZN show from The Star’s Ford Center in Frisco, Texas.
“The 19th of July is now confirmed for South Africa’s WBO World [115lbs] champion Phumelela “The Truth” Cafu,” Colin Nathan, Cafu’s trainer and manager, told BoxingScene in a provided quote. “[He] gets to fight, in what can only be describe as a true “Super Fight,” against WBC Champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a unification match.”
Rodriguez is the recognized lineal, RING and WBC champion. Cafu holds the WBO belt.
News of the matchup was first reported by Fight Freaks Unite. Ring Magazine was first to confirm that the co-feature will pit Diego Pacheco, 23-0 (18 KOs) and Trevor McCumby, 28-1 (21 KOs) in a super middleweight matchup.
Rodriguez has spent most of 2025 on the hunt for a fellow divisional titlist. Matchroom Boxing – who co-promotes Rodriguez along with Mr. Honda’s Teiken Promotions – previously reached out to WBA titlist Fernando ‘Puma’ Martinez, 17-0 (9 KOs) for a bout that was targeted for May or June.
Any hope for the matchup fell apart when Martinez returned to previous plans to face Kazuto Ioka in a rematch to their terrific July 7 bout, won by the unbeaten Argentine via decision. Martinez and Ioka will meet again on May 11 in Tokyo. It prompted Matchroom to turn to Cafu, with the deal coming together relatively quickly.
“I’m excited to finally step back into the ring,” said Rodriguez in quotes provided by Matchroom confirming the event. “I cannot wait to fight in front of my home state fans. I’m looking forward to unifying in another weight division.
“I know Cafu is a tough opponent, but these kinds of fights bring out the best in me and I’ll be ready for whatever he brings. July 19th tune in and witness greatness.”
Cafu won the WBO junior bantamweight title in an upset, split decision over Kosei Tanaka last October 14 in Tokyo.
The targeted challenger for his first defense was originally former four-division champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, 52-4 (42 KOs). The bout fell apart just as the two sides appeared to reach terms, with Gonzalez opting to instead revisit the matter later this fall.
The contingency plan was for Cafu to enjoy a hometown headliner in late May. Those plans were on course, until an offer was received to instead face Rodriguez for top honors at the weight.
“This is awesome, man, because once again I get to step in with an elite fighter and prove the world wrong, showing people that I’m also an elite fighter,” said Cafu. “I’ve always wanted to fight him because people think he is the bogeyman of the division and say he is unbeatable, but I’ll prove to the people that no one is unbeatable.
"Beating him will put me on the pound-for-pound list, and I will be King of the division.”
Rodriguez previously held the WBC junior bantamweight title in 2022 and made two successful defenses before he vacated to drop back down to flyweight. He endured a broken jaw en route to a WBO title win, but his signature win at the weight was a ninth-round stoppage of Sunny Edwards in their December 2023 IBF/WBO unification bout between unbeaten titlists.
A career-best win at the time, Rodriguez trumped it one fight later in his return to junior bantamweight. The unbeaten 24-year-old (at the time) climbed off the deck to dethrone lineal, RING and WBC champ Juan Francisco Estrada via seventh-round knockout last June 29 in Phoenix, Arizona.
In his most recent start, Rodriguez made easy work of Mexico’s Pedro Guevara, whom he stopped in the third round last November 9 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Guevara held the interim WBC title, which allowed Rodriguez to satisfy his mandatory and focus on a big, meaningful fight for his first ring appearance this year.
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