Juan Francisco Estrada has agreed on a deal to defend his WBC super flyweight title against the ever-improving Jesse Rodriguez this summer.
The fight will see a fighting legend take on the new king of the lower weights at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, June 29, live worldwide on DAZN.
Estrada steps back through the ropes to defend the title for the first time. The world title comes after he beat old foe Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez in the third installment of their epic trilogy in December 2022. It was a thrilling encounter, and he edged via majority decision in front of a packed crowd in Glendale, Arizona.
The 33-year-old’s win over the Nicaraguan star made it 2-1 in his favor across their famous trilogy. Now, the Mexican meets the hottest young champion in the game, who has already claimed the scalps of two of the four modern-day Super-Flyweight kings.
‘Bam’ Rodriguez unified at flyweight by stopping Sunny Edwards in the ninth round of a stunning performance in December. He now steps up to go for more glory against Estrada.
The 24-year-old will look to build upon that elite showing to try to wrestle back the title he won against Carlos Cuadras in February 2022 at the Footprint Center. He successfully defended the title twice, first stopping Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in his San Antonio backyard in June and then seeing off Israel Gonzalez in Las Vegas in September.
As confident as ever, Rodriguez is already boasting a battle cry for the event.
“Fighting for my fourth world title against a legend like ‘Gallo’ is huge,” said Rodriguez. “This is a fight I’ve been wanting for a while. I’m ready to prove myself once again.
“On June 29, you guys will see another special performance. And the new!”
Old head Estrada stated: “I’m very happy to announce my return against Bam Rodriguez. After my last victory against Chocolatito, we took a good break.
“I was able to spend quality time with my family and my kids and heal an injury I was dealing with.
“I will be more than ready since I know Rodriguez is a dangerous fighter, but in June, it will be clear that there is plenty of ‘Gallo’ excitement to come.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn added: “What a fight this is. When the best fight the best, excitement is guaranteed. There’s no doubt that these are two of the best fighters on the planet.
“There are so many plot lines for us all to get our teeth into in the build-up to this incredible clash. But when the bell goes, the talking will stop. We will be treated to something very special.
“Both fighters are to be commended for taking on the challenge. Will ‘Gallo’ prove too much too soon for Jesse, or can ‘Bam’ add Juan’s name to his already incredible CV?”
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