WBC Special Preview: Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez vs. Fernando “Pumita” Martinez

WBC STATISTICS

WBC Super Flyweight World Championship

November 22, 2025 / Riyadh, Saudi Arabia / ANB Arena

SAMPSON BOXING & QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS PRESENT:

JESSE “Bam” RODRIGUEZ (USA)
·WBC Super Flyweight World Champion (2-time), 5th Defense
Age: 25 / Date of birth: January 20, 2000
Residence, birthplace: San Antonio, Texas
Record: 22-0, 15 KOs / Total rounds: 123 / World championship fights: 8-0, 5 KOs
Height: 5’4” – 163cm / Reach: 67” – 170cm / Stance: Left-handed
Manager, trainer: Robert Garcia

FERNANDO “Pumita” MARTINEZ (Argentina)
· WBA Super Flyweight World Champion, 2nd Defense
· Former WBC Silver Super Flyweight Champion
Age: 34 / Date of birth: July 18, 1991
Residence: Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina / Birthplace: Avellaneda, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Record: 18-0, 9 KOs / Total rounds: 127 / World championship fights: 5-0, 1 KO
Height: 5’2” – 157cm / Reach: 64” – 163cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Marcos “Chino” Maidana / Trainer: Rodrigo Calabrese

WBC SUPER FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Rafael Orono (Venezuela) 1980 – 1981
2. Chulho Kim (Korea) 1981 – 1982
3. Rafael Orono (Venezuela) 1982 – 1983*
4. Payao Pooltarat (+) (Thailand) 1983 – 1984
5. Jiro Watanabe (Japan) 1984 – 1986
6. Gilberto Roman (+) (Mexico) 1986 – 1987
7. Santos Laciar (Argentina) 1987
8. Jose Bebis Rojas (Colombia) 1987 – 1988
9. Gilberto Roman (+) (Mexico) 1988 – 1989*
10. Nana Konadu (Ghana) 1989 – 1990
11. Sungkil Moon (Korea) 1990 – 1993
12. Jose Luis Bueno (Mexico) 1993 – 1994
13. Hiroshi Kawashima (Japan) 1994 – 1997
14. Gerry Peñalosa (Philippines) 1997 – 1998
15. Injoo Cho (Korea) 1998 – 2000
16. Masamori Tokuyama (Japan) 2000 – 2004
17. Katsushige Kawashima (Japan) 2004 – 2005
18. Masamori Tokuyama (Japan) 2005 – 2006 *
19. Cristian Mijares (Mexico) 2006 – 2008
20. Vic Darchinyan (Australia) 2008 – 2010
21. Tomas Rojas (Mexico) Interim 2009
22. Vic Darchinyan (Australia) 2009 – 2010*
23. Tomas Rojas (Mexico) 2010 – 2011*
24. Suriyan Por Chockchai (Thailand) 2011 – 2012
25. Yota Sato (Japan) 2012 – 2013
26. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (Thailand) 2013 – 2014
27. Carlos Cuadras (Mexico) 2014 – 2016
28. Roman Gonzalez (Nicaragua) 2016 – 2017
29. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (Thailand) 2017 – 2019*
30. Juan Francisco Estrada (Mexico) Franchise 2019 –
31. Jesse Rodriguez (USA) 2022 – 2022
32. Juan Francisco Estrada (Mexico)* 2022 – 2024
33. Jesse Rodriguez* (USA) 2024 –
* Regained

WBC SUPER FLYWEIGHT TOP 10 CHAMPIONS
1. Gilberto Roman (Mexico)
2. Santos Laciar (Argentina)
3. Jiro Watanabe (Japan)
4. Chulho Kim (Korea)
5. Cristian Mijares (Mexico)
6. Gerry Peñalosa (Philippines)
7. Sungkil Moon (Korea)
8. Rafael Orono (Venezuela)
9. Carlos Cuadras (Mexico)
10. Jose Luis Bueno (Mexico)

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE SUPER FLYWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY
26 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, eight of whom have regained the title: Rafael Orono (Venezuela), Gilberto Roman (Mexico), Masamori Tokuyama (Japan), Vic Darchinyan (Australia), Tomas Rojas (Mexico), Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (Thailand), Juan Francisco Estrada (Mexico), Jesse Rodriguez (USA).

124 super flyweight world title fights have been held in WBC history.

MEMORABLE WBC SUPER FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS
July 19, 2025 Jesse Rodriguez TKO10 Phumelela Cafu – Frisco, Texas
Nov. 9, 2024 Jesse Rodriguez TKO3 Pedro Guevara – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
June 29, 2024 Jesse Rodriguez KO7 Juan Francisco Estrada – Phoenix, Arizona
Dec. 3 2022 Juan Francisco Estrada W12 Roman Gonzalez – Glendale, Arizona
Sep. 17, 2022 Jesse Rodriguez W12 Israel Gonzalez – Las Vegas, Nevada
June 25, 2022 Jesse Rodriguez TKO8 Srisaket Sor Rungvisai – San Antonio, Texas
Feb. 5, 2022 Jesse Rodriguez W12 Carlos Cuadras – Phoenix, Arizona
Mar. 13, 2021 Juan Francisco Estrada W12 Roman Gonzalez – Dallas, Texas
Oct. 23, 2020 Juan Francisco Estrada TKO11 Carlos Cuadras – Mexico City, Mexico
Apr. 26, 2019 Juan Francisco Estrada W12 Srisaket Sor Rungvisai – Inglewood, California
Feb. 24, 2018 Srisaket Sor Rungvisai W12 Juan Francisco Estrada – Inglewood, California
Sep. 9, 2017 Srisaket Sor Rungvisai KO4 Roman Gonzalez – Carson, California
Mar. 18, 2017 Srisaket Sor Rungvisai W12 Roman Gonzalez – New York, New York
Sep. 10, 2016 Roman Gonzalez W12 Carlos Cuadras – Inglewood, California
May 31, 2014 Carlos Cuadras TW8 Srisaket Sor Rungvisai – Iztacalco, Mexico
Nov. 15, 2013 Srisaket Sor Rungvisai TKO9 Hirofumi Mukai – Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
Feb. 7, 2009 Vic Darchinyan TKO11 Jorge Arce – Anaheim, California
Aug. 30, 2008 Cristian Mijares TKO3 Chatchai Sasakul – Monterrey, Mexico
Feb. 27, 2006 Masamori Tokuyama W12 Jose Navarro – Osaka, Japan
June 28, 2004 Katsushige Kawashima TKO1 Masamori Tokuyama – Yokohama, Japan
Jan. 2, 2000 In-Joo Cho W12 Gerry Peñalosa – Seoul, South Korea
Nov. 23, 1997 Gerry Peñalosa KO10 Young-Joo Cho – Seongnam City, South Korea
Jan. 18, 1995 Hiroshi Kawashima W12 Jose Luis Bueno – Yokohama, Japan
Nov. 13, 1993 Jose Luis Bueno W12 Sungkil Moon – Pohang City, South Korea
June 9, 1990 Sungkil Moon TKO8 Gilberto Roman – Seoul, South Korea
Jan. 20, 1009 Sungkil Moon TW9 Nana Konadu – Seoul, South Korea
Nov. 7, 1989 Nana Konadu W12 Gilberto Roman – Mexico City, Mexico
Apr. 8, 1988 Gilberto Roman W12 Sugar Baby Rojas – Miami Beach, Florida
May 16, 1987 Santos Laciar TKO11 Gilberto Roman – Reims, France
Mar. 30, 1986 Gilberto Roman W12 Jiro Watanabe – Hyogo, Japan
Jul. 5, 1984 Jiro Watanabe W12 Payao Poontarat – Osaska, Japan
Nov. 27, 1983 Payao Poontarat W12 Rafael Orono – Pattaya, Thailand
May 9, 1983 Rafael Orono W12 Raul Valdez – Caracas, Venezuela
Apr. 22, 1981 Chulho Kim W15 Jiro Watanabe – Seoul, South Korea
Feb. 2, 1980 Rafael Orono W15 Seung-Hoon Lee – Caracas, Venezuela

 
Puma Clause and Bam Grand Slam for Fernando Martinez and Jessie Rodriguez

By James Blears

On the face of it, if you say a boxer hits like a lightweight, it doesn`t sound that heavy-handed, excepting the awesome Roberto ‘’Manos de Piedra,’’ unless… in applying that epithet, you consider that Jessie ‘’Bam’’ Rodriguez is five divisions below that…only then, does the significance of his nickname all of a sudden becomes appreciably more apparent and impactful.

On a night to surely remember at the ANB Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 22nd, Jessie 21-0. 14 KO`s will defend his WBC and WBO super-flyweight titles against WBA Champion Fernando ‘’Puma’’ Martinez 18-0, 9KO`s. It would have been for all four, but Fernando relinquished the IBF title last October, in order to fight the rematch with former WBA Champion Kazuto Ioka, once again in Tokyo, and like the first time he won by UD. Neither Jessie nor Fernando have ever known defeat as professionals, so it`s going to be a battle of pride and wills backed up by firepower for this unification.

Fernando has already had some choice words, which he has hurled in Jessie`s direction, saying Jessie hasn`t fought anyone in their prime, while he himself has fought seasoned campaigners and champions, namely Jerwin Ancajas and Kazuto Ioka twice apiece, to respectively gain and then retain the IBF and WBA super flyweight titles. He says that when he fights Jessie, it`ll be blow for blow plus intelligence, warning: ‘’He`s coming up against a wall fighting me. It doesn`t matter that he`s the favorite, because we`re going up into the ring. I`m confident of KO`ing him.

Jessie who most recently added the WBO title to his Green and Gold WBC Championship Belt, stopped Phumelele Cafu, patiently and methodically breaking him down, so eventually his opponent`s corner threw in the towel in round ten. Jessie reflects: ‘’I didn`t expect him to last so long. He was tough, but not that tough. And for the upcoming fight against Fernando Martinez, my advice to him is to be good and ready, as I just keep improving.’’

It`s something that Jessie`s Coach Robert Garcia has been saying for some time. Robert insists that it`ll take another two years for ‘’Bam’’ to reach his prime peak, but he`s not looking that shabby right now. It also has to be remembered that while Fernando is thirty- four years old, Jessie is nine years younger and if the fight wears and tears into the later stages, this might be a salient riptide factor.

Southpaw Jessie from Fort Worth, Texas is a rise and shine, in the Pound for Pound Best List and as he matures in the super-flyweight division, he`s hitting harder and harder. It all started when opportunity knocked and he grabbed it with both hands, fighting Carlos ‘’Medicine Man’’ Cuadras for the vacant WBC super-flyweight title, dominating the fight and dropping Carlos with a right uppercut in round five on the way to a UD victory.

Then he defeated former champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai via eighth round TKO. The one who`d previously had to pull of the Cuadras fight. After retaining the title, defeating Israel Gonzalez by UD, he temporarily relinquished and moved back to flyweight defeating Cristian Gonzalez to win the vacant WBO fitle. However, in so doing, he had to prove his mettle, as he suffered a fractured jaw in round six, but bit down resolutely if painfully on his mouthguard to prevail, and then underwent surgery. A recovered Jessie then overwhelmed IBF Champion Sunny Edwards fracturing his right orbital bone and decking him, with Sunny`s corner stopping it after nine rounds.

Then upward and onward, to the multi- talented Juan Francisco ‘’Gallo’’ Estrada who`d spent more than a year out of the ring and was stopped in round seven by Bam who knocked him down for the second time, but not before being decked in between himself. He was now WBC super-flyweight champion again and wasted little time in stopping two division champion Pedro Guevara via a third round TKO. On to Plumelele Cafu, so and now, here we are.

Fernando made his pro debut in 2017, the same year as Jessie. His first big step and his in first time fighting outside Argentina, he won The WBC Silver super-flyweight TKO`ing Athenkosi Dumenzweni in round eleven, at the International Convention Center, East London, South Africa.

His next giant step was defeating Jerwin Ancajas for the IBF title. It was Jerwin`s tenth defence, but Fernando overcame him via a UD. It was a high output fight with Fernando landing 427 of 1,046 punches thrown while Jerwin landed 192 of 816 thrown. Then Fernando TKO`d Jade Bornea in the eleventh, and in a rematch with Jerwin he won another UD. He then took on WBA Kazuto Ioka in a unification and defeated him via UD, repeating the dose in the rematch.

Few have been able to withstand the power and thudding, unrelenting onslaught of Bam, especially at super-fly. He often trains and sometimes spars with older brother Joshua Franco Rodriguez who is a former WBA super-flyweight champion. Bam has endured and overcome a broken jaw and a knockdown in his career, but up to now, he has always found a way to win. To defeat him, Fernando will either have to go for a stoppage in the early stages, or barring that, opt and elect to turn it into a boxing match. He too has the heart, mindset, soul and grit of a champion, so it`s going to be quality stuff and stiff upper lip, while it lasts.

Both are determined to leave their impact- imprint on this fight and make an important statement. It`s the most exacting test of Jessie`s career thus far. As for Fernando and in spite of his words about plus the deeds, involving the two champions he`s already faced and triumphed over, this one against Bam, is most assuredly the most daunting test of fire for him, up to this point.

Both are capable and willing of throwing a high volume of leather and going hell for leather when they see openings. It might start tactical, but unlikely to end that way. Both are grimly intent on testing their power, so don`t blink when the Little Big Men start firing on all cylinders, and it gets wilder. Some like it hot!