Jesse Rodriguez vs Phumelele Cafu Preview July 19th, 2025
Unbeaten WBC Super Flyweight Champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez of San Antonio, Texas will be attempting to add the WBO version to his collection when he takes on undefeated Phumelele Cafu of South Africa this Saturday, July 19th. Rodriguez is a two-time super flyweight champion and a former flyweight beltholder who won his most recent crown in June, 2024 when he stopped Juan Francisco Estrada in the seventh round. Cafu won his belt in his last fight in October when he edged Kosei Tanaka via a controversial split decision in Tokyo. The 12-round bout can be seen live from Frisco, Texas on DAZN in most nations. In his last outing in November, Rodriguez stopped Pedro Guevera in the third round.
Rodriguez vs Cafu Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Phumelele Cafu +1100
- Jesse Rodriguez -2500
My Pick
The southpaw Rodriguez is currently one of the youngest pro world boxing champions as he’s just 25 years old. He enters the fight with a perfect mark of 21-0 with 14 Ko’s and possesses pretty good power in his arsenal with a current knockout ratio of 66.7 per cent and has stopped four of his past seven opponents. Rodriguez stands 5-feet-4-inches tall with a 67-inch reach and is the brother of former WBA Super Flyweight Champion Joshua Franco. He made his pro debut in 2017 and has boxed 113 rounds since.
Rodriguez enjoyed a fine amateur career which saw him win the 2015 U.S. National Junior Under-17 Championship at 101 lbs, capture a silver medal at the 2015 World Junior Under-17 Championships at 101 lbs and win the 2016 U.S. National Junior Under-17 Championships at 106 lbs. As a pro, he beat Carlos Cuadras by unanimous decision to win the vacant WBC Super Flyweight Belt in February, 2022. He defended the title twice as he beat Israel Gonzalez by unanimous decision and stopped fellow southpaw and former world champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in the eighth round in June, 2022.
Rodriguez went on to win the vacant WBO Flyweight Title in April, 2023 when he beat Cristian Hernandez by unanimous decision and defended that belt for the first time and won the IBF version with his ninth-round stoppage of Sunny Edwards. Rodriguez also has wins over Armando Vazquez, Rauf Aghayev, Cesar Torrijos, Marco Sustaita, Janiel Rivera and Saul Juarez. He possesses excellent speed, skills, a solid chin and enough power to stop most opponents.
The 30-year-old Cafu is also a southpaw who makes the ring walk with a mark of 11-0-3 with 8 Ko’s. He made his pro debut in 2018 and has boxed 85 rounds since. He possesses great power as 72.7 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage but has gone the distance in three of his last four fights. Cafu’s first draw came in 2018 in his second pro bout when he went four rounds with Landile Ngxeke. He then fought to a 10-round draw with Zolile Miya three fights later and two bouts after that he battled Jackson Chauke to a 12-round draw to win the South African Flyweight Belt in 2022.
Cafu had won the vacant WBF International Flyweight Title in September, 2019 and didn’t fight again until meeting Chauke in March, 2022. He also added the vacant IBF International Super Flyweight Title to his collection in August, 2023 with a 10-round unanimous decision over Genisis Libranza. Cafu measures 5-feet-6-inches tall with a 64-inch reach for a two-inch edge in height on Rodriguez but he gives up three inches in reach. This will be his second fight outside of South Africa as a pro as he won the title in his last contest in Japan.
Prediction…
Rodriguez and Cafu are both world-class boxers who aren’t afraid to let their hands go. Cafu is five years older than Rodriguez though and comes in second best in just about every category here other than power and height. With Rodriguez possessing the overall better skills I’m expecting him to successfully unify the titles but it could go the distance. Also the odds should be quite a bit closer than they are as Cafu proved against Kosei Tanaka that he’s able to compete at the top level and could be a handful for Rodriguez this weekend.
Rodriguez is five years younger with the edge in and skill.
Play: Rodriguez -2500 @ BetOnline.ag
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Jesse Rodriguez betting • Jesse Rodriguez Franco betting • Phumelele Cafu betting