Birmingham, UK – Boxing fans gathered in Galal Yafai`s hometown anticipating another step forward for the Olympic gold medalist. Instead, they witnessed a significant and unexpected setback. Yafai, the reigning Olympic flyweight champion, suffered a comprehensive unanimous decision defeat at the hands of the experienced Mexican fighter Francisco Rodriguez.
The bout, held at the bp pulse LIVE arena, saw Rodriguez dismantle Yafai over twelve rounds, culminating in a late knockdown that sealed a dominant performance. The official scorecards read 118-109, 119-108, and 119-108, all clearly in favour of the visiting fighter.
Yafai burst onto the professional scene after claiming gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021. He rapidly ascended, securing the WBC interim title in just nine professional outings, including a notable victory over former champion Sunny Edwards. This rapid rise suggested a potentially smooth transition to the top tier of professional boxing.
However, Francisco Rodriguez, a veteran campaigner with 47 professional fights entering the ring, presented a different challenge entirely. He matched Yafai`s vaunted aggression and relentless work rate from the outset, proving that experience often holds an advantage over pure amateur pedigree in the pro ranks.
Rodriguez`s power shots made their presence felt early, appearing to trouble Yafai. The fight developed into a rugged contest, with both fighters sustaining cuts during the exchanges. Despite Yafai attempting to counter with his southpaw left, Rodriguez consistently landed the more impactful blows, steadily accumulating rounds.
The fight`s narrative reached its conclusive point in the final round. Rodriguez launched a decisive flurry of punches, sending Yafai to the canvas for the first time in the contest. This moment underscored the Mexican`s superiority throughout the fight and left no doubt regarding the outcome as the final bell sounded.
This defeat marks a potentially damaging blow to Yafai`s immediate professional ambitions, highlighting the competitive depth and veteran cunning present at the higher levels of the sport. For Francisco Rodriguez, it stands as a hard-fought, well-earned victory on foreign soil against one of the flyweight division`s most prominent names, reminding everyone that record numbers aren`t the only measure of a fighter`s capability.
In other results on the Birmingham card, fellow Tokyo Olympian Peter McGrail earned a majority decision win in his ten-round contest against Ionut Baluta. Conah Walker successfully defended his British welterweight title with a seventh-round knockout of Liam Taylor. Paris Olympian Pat Brown secured his second professional stoppage win, defeating Ivan Duka in the second round.
Murray Blackwood