Jessie Vargas: record, next fight and profile →
Washington, DC - Jessie Vargas (27-1, 10 KOs) became a two division world champion with a ninth round stoppage of previously unbeaten 2008 Olympian Sadam 'World Kid' Ali (22-1, 13 KOs) to capture the vacant WBO welterweight world championship.
Fresh from a stunning knockout of Bryant 'By-By' Jennings and eager to continue his quest to be the best heavyweight in the sport, WBA Interim Heavyweight World Champion Luis 'The Real King Kong' Ortiz (24-0, 21 KOs) will face former world title challenger Tony “The Tiger” Thompson (40-6, 27 KOs) in 12-round main event at the DC Armory, in Washington D.C. on Saturday, March 5 and televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Things balance out in life, especially in boxing. Jessie Vargas may be an example of that. Vargas has been criticized for decision victories that have gone his way and the merry-go-round of trainers that have worked with him in recent years. Then came the Timothy Bradley fight last June, when he believes an error by referee Pat Russell cost him an opportunity to become a two-time world titleholder.
Former super lightweight champion Jessie Vargas (26-1) raised a few eyebrows on the conference call for his March 5th fight against Sadam Ali (22-0). The vacant WBO welterweight title will be at stake in the HBO televised fight.
Jessie Vargas realizes he wasted entirely too many opportunities during his loss to Timothy Bradley. By the time Vargas finally landed a right hand he had tried setting up several times earlier in their 12-round bout, it was too late. It obviously didn’t help that referee Pat Russell stopped their fight eight seconds early, after Vargas hurt Bradley badly with 21 seconds left in the 12th round.
by Cliff Rold - Conor McGregor is fighting this weekend! That one fact is going to mean a lot of overshadowing in the combat corner of the sports world. It would be a shame if boxing fans, that often are also UFC fans, missed what might be the best boxing match of the week (in the States anyways…it’s gonna’ be...
Sadam Ali (22-0) is less than two weeks away from his first crack at a title. The unbeaten welterweight will face former super lightweight champion Jessie Vargas (26-1) on March 5th at The DC Armory in Washington DC for the vacant WBO welterweight title. The fight will be the televised by HBO as the chief support to the Luis Ortiz-Tony Thompson headliner.
Luis Ortiz is set for his fourth fight in a span of just nine months as he takes on veteran heavyweight Tony Thompson. Their non-title fight takes place Saturday evening at the D.C. Armory in Washington D.C., airing live on HBO.
Luis Ortiz is set for his fourth fight in a span of just nine months as he takes on veteran heavyweight Tony Thompson. Their non-title fight takes place Saturday evening at the D.C. Armory in Washington D.C., airing live on HBO. As pointless as it is for a weigh-in to take place in a division with an unlimited weight limit, Friday's scene was a bit telling for both boxers. Ortiz tipped the scales at a career-heaviest 242.6 lbs., while Thompson - decked out in a T-shirt, sweatpants, ball cap and sneakers - checked in at 263.8 lbs.
By Thomas Gerbasi - Every fighter has a story. Sadam Ali’s truly began in the Coney Island Boxing Gym on 25th street in Brooklyn. He started boxing at eight, and by the time I ran into him before the Jesse James Leija-Hector Camacho Jr. fight in 2001, he was a four-year veteran of the sport who had so much success already that he...