Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn claims that WBC and WBO super flyweight champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs) will never have to get out of first gear in his unification fight against WBA champion Fernando ‘Puma’ Martinez (18-1, 9 KOs).
(Credit: Queensberry/Leigh Dawney)
Hear: Bam never hit second gear
“He didn’t come out of first gear, and these are the top two fighters in the division,” promoter Eddie Hearn said. Seconds out of aabout Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez knocking out Fernando Martinez in the 10th round last Saturday night. Bam had to fight hard as he took big shots from Martinez, and he couldn’t afford to leave him there.
Bam took shots, gave better ones
It wasn’t quite an easy fight for ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. He took big shots from Martinez in every round until the end of the contest in round 10.
“‘Puma’ Martinez, a world champion, unbeaten, No. 1 with Ring Magazine. It looked like a sparring match,” Hearn said of Rodriguez’s win over Puma. “And then it’s like the knockout. The knockout was special. He slipped five or six strikes. A left-handed slip.”
Admittedly, ‘Puma’ had never been beaten before last Saturday, but he barely won his rematch with Kazuto Ioka, defeating him by a close 12-round unanimous decision on May 11, 2025 in Tokyo. This fight showed that Martinez (34) has lost some of his game from his previous fight with Ioka on July 7, 2024.
“It was a great fight. He’s 25 years old. He’s moving up the pound-for-pound list with every fight. There was some pushing and shoving, some beef,” Hearn said when asked about Bam Rodriguez standing over Martinez after knocking him out. “I think it was sweet.”
Martinez looked out of sorts early
The fight was a mismatch from the start. Fernando Martinez, 34, looked tired after the first round and was losing balance after throwing wild punches. He was exhausted and looking too early that he had a chance to win.
‘Bam’ hit quite a few big shots in the fight. In some ways it was more difficult than his previous fight against Phumelela Cafu last summer on July 19, 2025. That fight lasted 10 rounds before Rodriguez knocked him out.
“One more belt to get and then we’re undisputed at 115. Then we move to 118, and then at the end of 2026 fight fans get something that’s very, very special,” Hearn said.
Inoue Superfight on the Horizon
Fighting Naoya Inoue would be ideal for ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in 2026. But for that to happen, he would have to move up to 122, because that’s where Inoue fights. He’s not going to come down to bantamweight to fight Rodriguez. He’s the bigger name and won’t want to do 25-year-old Bam any favors.
Last updated on 23/11/2025
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