Not everyone travelling thousands of miles to take on one of the consensus best fighters in the world would see that as an opportunity and a privilege.

But the chance to fight Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in Texas is alluring, satisfying, and exciting for WBO junior bantamweight champion Phumelela Cafu.

There had been speculation that “Bam” might face unbeaten Argentine Fernando “Puma” Martinez, but when that fight fell through and Martinez was instead paired with Kazuto Ioka in a rematch, Rodriguez did not have many more attractive alternatives than a unification fight with Cafu. 

Cafu, for his part, was due to enjoy a late May South Africa homecoming, having won the title on the road, in Japan, last October.

But when the Bam opportunity arose, little else could contend with the chance for Cafu to prove himself like that.

“Yeah, this opportunity feels really amazing,” Cafu, 11-0-3 (8 KOs), told BoxingScene. “I was looking forward to defending my title back home, but a chance like this, I just couldn’t miss it. And what’s crazy is that I’ve been calling out for this fight but I didn’t think it was going to happen this early. But I’m glad that my team was able to put it together, and now that I’m fighting Bam, I’m ready to prove the world wrong once again.”

Cafu claimed his WBO title with a split decision upset over Japanese star Kosei Tanaka, whom Cafu dropped on his way to victory.

That was at the Ariake Arena, and this time – on July 117 – he finds himself again on the road as he travels to The Ford Center at The Star, Frisco. 

Cafu had also felt that Martinez was Bam’s likely next destination.

“For sure. I thought he was going to fight Martinez, or probably, like, fight me after Martinez,” Cafu added. “But Paps [manager and trainer Colin Nathan] also told me that there is a possibility that that fight might not happen, because Martinez was due for a rematch against Ioka, so probably Martinez was looking at that. And I think Bam also pressured his promoter that he wants to unify, so they had no choice but to come to me.” 

In that respect, Cafu backing himself to take on Tanaka – away from home – has more than paid off. There was a moment during that fight when Nathan urged Cafu to deliver on his pre-fight promises to win so Cafu could buy his mother a house. Cafu stepped up a gear.

The house has still not been bought, but the Bam payday will allow Cafu to upsize for his mother.

“Definitely after this fight, I’m buying my mum a house,” Cafu said. “And Pops [Nathan] and my promoter are going to be there to witness it. So obviously now after this fight, I’m buying her a house. I’ll just buy her a house wherever she wants. That’s what’s important. She’s been taking care of me for a long time. I feel like me making sure that she’s also straight and making sure that she’ll never have to worry about me again... I’ve got myself and I’ve got her.

“That’s what matters.”

Cafu’s mom worked as a factory manager before COVID hit, but the pandemic forced the factory’s closure. 

On his father’s side, Cafu has five brothers and a sister, and on his mother’s side he has a little brother who wears soccer boots rather than boxing gloves. Cafu himself made the transition from soccer to boxing when he was a child.

“They used to call me Ronaldo in my days when I used to play soccer,” he smiled.

Cafu hopes that, after his Texas visit, they will be calling him a unified champion. For that, he is grateful for his team and he maintains an open mind about what is possible. 

“To be honest with you, I never thought one day that I’d fight for unification. No lies,” he continued.

“I’ve always dreamed about being a world champion, and I thought that was also impossible. Yet I didn’t think I’d be a unified champion, so this is really amazing still for me. I’m just looking forward to making Upset of the Year again.”

Should Cafu win, it will figure in the Upset of the Year conversation, and Cafu has plenty of respect for the man who this week he started camp to compete against.

“Bam is a good fighter, defense-wise, boxing-wise, really accurate,” Cafu assessed. “He’s a really good fighter. But also, everyone does make mistakes, and that day he’s going to make mistakes and he’s going to pay. Me and my team are working really hard. Me and my Paps have been studying him, watching him. And on the 19th of July, we’ll be very prepared to go there and become champions, become the super-flyweight unified champion and become the king of the division.”

It is the chance to be the king-slayer that most appeals to Cafu. Rodriguez is recognized as the divisional No. 1 and Cafu is well aware that, to coin a phrase, to be the man he has to beat the man.

“Even if I fought ‘Puma’ Martinez and beat Martinez, people were going to say I’m not the king, I still have to go through Bam,” he said. “You know what people say, they say if you want to kill a snake, you must go for the head. So, right now, I’m going straight for the head, and once I beat Bam, I'll be the king of the division.”

The appeal of being a road warrior also attracts Cafu. The stakes are high and he believes victory over Rodriguez will cement his position in South Africa’s sporting hall of fame, and lead to him becoming a global star. 

He knows he is the underdog, but he will only entertain conversation about winning.

“We haven’t spoken about what happens next when I win,” he said. “We just focus on winning, and I also can’t look down on Bam. He’s achieved a lot in the sport of boxing. They call him the legend-slayer... but I’m ready for him. So I’m just looking forward to going out there and making an upset. That’s the main focus right now. After beating him, we can talk about what’s next. The main focus is to go there and become champion.”

Trainer Nathan has always wanted to produce a South African version of Manny Pacquiao. He’s had several good champions, from Hekkie Budler to Moruti Mthalane and Sivenathi Nontshinga. 

Nathan has always been a student of the sport, to the extent that more than a decade ago he several times took himself to Los Angeles for extended periods of time to learn under Freddie Roach. He has always wanted to be known as one of the sport’s great trainers, and in July he gets to pit his wits against the man who, for many, is the current leading trainer in Robert Garcia.

They have not gone up against one another in their careers yet.

“Big respect to him,” said Nathan. “He’s a great trainer. But at the end of the day, as a trainer, I also want to test myself. But I just want to win. They can have whoever they want in the corner and it’s not being disrespectful. And much respect for Robert. He’s achieved a lot. He’s produced many world champions. But it’s also my opportunity to prove that I’m also a world-class trainer. For me, it’s just about testing myself and obviously getting the best out of my fighter. And that’s what I’ve really had a knack of doing over the last few years. And I know that not many people are going to give us a chance and that’s kind of what I thrive on. I thrive on being in an environment where I’m booed or the fighter is booed. And I love pulling it off. But obviously, it’s just an honorable moment for all of us. And it’s not a matter of going there for the opportunity. It’s going there to create the upset and win.” 

Nathan had made an announcement of Cafu’s homecoming, and South Africa had embraced the prospect of Cafu’s return. But, Nathan and Cafu both knew the Bam opportunity was too great to turn down, 

“This fight is huge,” said Cafu. “I never thought it was possible. So there was no way I would let it pass by because, like I’ve been saying, I’ve been wanting to fight Bam. 

“And sometimes it’s not about the money. It’s about going out there and cementing my name into the world and becoming a legend. I imagine making it into the South African Hall of Fame at the age of 26. That’s really amazing, man. I feel like that’s the main focus. I’m chasing legacy right now. I’ve been saying that I want to be one of the greatest boxers in South Africa or probably one of the best boxers in the world. I have a great team which means that I get to make sure that I get to chase my dreams and make my dreams a reality.”

Nathan often feels like his fighters are underestimated. He’s masterminded several high-profile upset victories over the years, but this could be the biggest task he has faced. Not only does he hold Garcia in high esteem, but he of course rates Rodriguez highly.

“I think he’s really phenomenal,” continued Nathan. “I think he’s legitimately top 10 pound for pound on most pundits’ list. I think he’s a young, fresh kid coming up. But he’s also got gaps. And I think if anyone in the division has got a very sneaky chance of pulling it off, it’s us.” 

Cafu’s confidence in himself is clear, and it is something his coach believes is justified. 

“Well, just can I tell you something?” Nathan asks rhetorically. “That’s one thing that I believe… That I’ve got the right chess piece, the right racing horse to win the race, to create a checkmate situation for Bam. And equally, like I’m saying to you, we’re not going there for the opportunity. We’re going there to pull it off. We really, really think and know that we can win this fight.” 

At the same time, they both embrace the underdog status bestowed upon them. They can work without pressure. 

It might have been different had they had a rematch with Tanaka, but they were told Tanaka needs to have a break, and then they were also linked with the great Roman Gonzalez.

“We still thought that it would be a tough fight, even though we felt confident that we would go to Nicaragua and win,” said Nathan. “But it just never materialized. It is what it is.”

The focus now is very much on Rodriguez, one of the world’s finest boxers, and the excitement with which Cafu discusses the fight is contagious. 

“I’m a world champion and about to be a unified world champion,” he smiled. “So that’s crazy, man. It’s fun what God can do. I have a family and I’ve got a team that believes in me. The small circle that I have is everything that I need because, as they say, the people that believe in you make you give birth to something that you never knew about yourself.”