Jesse Rodriguez has mostly been mild-mannered throughout the buildup of his flyweight title unification fight against IBF belt holder Sunny Edwards on Saturday. 

But “Bam” is now promising his bark will come with a vicious bite by way of an impressive stoppage victory against the British boxer. 

“This fight is going to be exciting,” said Rodriguez. “The sky is the limit for me; anybody, anywhere. He’s a very good fighter, very technical, very skillful, fast, smart. I knew one day down the line we would meet up and here it is. He hasn’t been in with someone with the skills I have, and with the power on top of that. I don’t care what it takes, I’m going to win, I’m taking his belt, and I’m taking his ‘0’. I’m going to knock him out.” 

The 23-year-old Rodriguez (18-0, 11 KOs) picked up the vacant WBO title he now owns with a unanimous decision victory against Cristian Gonzalez Hernandez in April. The win was costly, however, as Rodriguez suffered a fractured jaw in the fight that required surgery. 

“My jaw feels good,” said Rodriguez. “It’s a little numb but the doctor said it would be like that for a while. I’m felt a little crack and then my ear started ringing so I knew something was up. I was able to bear it and finish the fight. I didn’t enjoy the win. I went straight to the hospital and got surgery on the Monday, and then I was on the six-week diet, strictly pudding, smoothies, milkshakes, whatever I could eat without chewing was what I was on, but as long as I’ve got my coffee, I’m good.” 

Rodriguez’s come-forward fighting style is very much action oriented, something the slick-boxing yet light-hitting Edwards (20-0, 4 KOs) will have to handle. 

Rodriguez is a -215 betting favorite while Edwards is a +165 underdog, according to DraftKings. 

Edwards will be looking to defend his title for a fifth time. He won the 112-pound IBF title by beating Moruti Mthalane in 2021. In March, he scored a unanimous decision win against Andres Campos.  

“I want to be remembered as a legend, as a fighter that never dodged a fight,” said Rodriguez. “I’m here for a good time, not a long time, I feel like I have what it takes to not only drop him but to finish the fight early. 

“A lot of things have changed since becoming World champion … I have the biggest fight of my life coming up and I use that feeling as motivation because I know winning this one would be ten times what I felt back then.”

Rodriguez versus Edwards will headline a Matchroom Boxing card on DAZN from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.