Francisco Rodríguez Jr.


Jose Francisco Rodríguez Tamayo is a Mexican professional boxer who previously held the unified International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization mini-flyweight titles in 2014.

Professional career

Unified mini flyweight champion

Rodríguez Jr. vs. Sabillo

His 16–2 record earned Rodríguez Jr. the right to challenge the undefeated WBO mini flyweight champion Merlito Sabillo in what was the Sabillo's third title defense. The title bout was scheduled as the main event of a card which took place at the Monterrey Arena in Monterrey, Mexico on 22 March 2014. He won the fight by a tenth-round technical knockout. Rodríguez Jr. knocked Sabillo down with a flurry of punches as early as the second round and continued to dominate from that point on. Sabillo's head trainer Edito Villamor opted to throw in the towel at the 1:50 minute of the tenth round, having deemed his fighter to have taken too much punishment.

Rodríguez Jr. vs. Takayama

Rodríguez Jr. faced the IBF mini flyweight champion Katsunari Takayama in a unification bout in his next professional appearance. The contest took place in the same venue as his previous title fight, the Monterrey Arena in Monterrey, Mexico, on 9 August 2014. It was broadcast by TV Azteca domestically and by beIN Sports in the United States. Rodríguez Jr. won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 119–108, 116–111 and 115–112. He scored the sole knockdown of the fight in the third round, flooring Takayama with a left hook. The fight was later named the "2014 Fight of the Year" by Bleacher Report, Boxing Scene, and ESPN.
Rodríguez Jr. vacated the IBF title on 1 October 2014 and the WBO title on 15 December 2014. His promoters claimed that he had vacated the title as was struggling to meet the 105-lbs mark, saying: "...basically, since he was struggling to make 105 pounds, he’s looking to make his mark at the higher weight now".

Light flyweight and flyweight

Rodríguez Jr. vs. Fajardo

After vacating his IBF title, but before vacating the WBO title as well, Rodríguez Jr. moved up to flyweight in order to face the unheralded Jomar Fajardo. The bout was scheduled for the undercard of "Pinoy Pride 28", which was headlined by a light flyweight title bout between Donnie Nietes and Carlos Velarde, and which took place at the Waterfront Hotel & Casino in Cebu City, Philippines on 15 November 2014. Fajardo stepped in as a late notice replacement for Virgilio Silvano. Despite coming into the fight as a significant favorite, Rodríguez failed to win the bout, as it ended in a split decision draw. One judge scored the fight 96–94 for Fajardo, the second judge scored it 98–92 for Rodríguez, while the third judge scored it as an even 95–95 draw.
An immediate rematch was booked for 31 January 2015. It took place at the Palenque de la Feria in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico. Rodríguez Jr. won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 100–92, 97–92 and 99–90.

Rodríguez Jr. vs. Nietes

On 3 June 2015, it was revealed that Rodríguez Jr. would challenge the reigning WBO and The Ring light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes. The fight headlined a beIN Sports and ABS-CBN broadcast card, that took place on 11 July 2015 in Nietes' native Philippines. Nietes retained the titles by unanimous decision, with scores of 118–110, 119–109 and 115–113.

Super flyweight

Title run

After failing to capture the WBO flyweight title, Rodríguez Jr. moved up to super flyweight. He faced the former WBO light flyweight champion Ramón García Hirales, in his first fight at super flyweight, on 20 February 2016. He won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 99–89, 99–88 and 96–91. Rodríguez knocked Hirales down twice in the seventh round and once in the eight round, although he was unable to finish him.
Rodríguez Jr. next faced Johnny Michel Garcia in a tune-up fight on 23 July 2016. He won the fight by a fifth-round technical knockout. He was leading on all three of the judges' scorecards at the time of the stoppage, with scores of 50–45, 50–45 and 49–46. Rodríguez Jr. was booked to face Crison Omayao on 29 October 2016, at the Palenque Vicente Fernandez in Gomez Palacio, Mexico. He knocked Omayao down once in the fourth round, before knocking him out in the fifth round.
Rodríguez Jr. faced Hajime Nagai on 4 February 2017, in his first fight of the year. He won the fight by technical decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 50–43 in his favor. The fight was stopped at the 1:22 minute mark of the fifth round, as Nagai was unable to continue due to an eye swelling and watering caused by an accidental elbow strike.
Rodríguez Jr. was next booked to face the undefeated Elias Joaquino on 12 August 2017. He won the fight by a seventh-round knockout, after having knocked Joaquino down once in the seventh round. He was leading at the time of the stoppage, with all three judges' having scored the fight 70–61 in his favor.
Rodríguez Jr. faced the 60-fight veteran Ronald Ramos on 16 December 2017. He had a great start to the fight, knocking Ramos in the very first round, and won the fight by a sixth-round technical knockout.
Rodríguez Jr. faced the former Japanese super flyweight champion and one time WBO Asia Pacific and OPBF title challenger Yohei Tobe on 9 June 2018, for the vacant WBC Latino Silver Super Flyweight belt. He knocked Tobe down twice by the 2:33 minute mark of the second round, prompting Tobe's corner to throw in the towel.
Rodríguez Jr. faced the former WBA flyweight champion and one-time interim super flyweight title challenger Hernán Márquez on 20 October 2018. He won the fight by a third-round technical knockout. Rodríguez knocked Márquez with a short left cross 30 seconds into the third round, which didn't leave his opponent visibly hurt as he was able to beat the ten-count. Rodríguez floored Márquez down with another left cross in the final minute of the round, which left him unable to rise from the canvas. Referee Florentino Lopez decided to wave the fight off at the 2:10 minute mark, without administering the full ten-count.
Rodríguez Jr. faced fellow former mini flyweight champion Oswaldo Novoa on 6 April 2019. He won the fight by a narrow unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 95–94 in his favor.
Rodríguez Jr. faced the undefeated David Barreto on 1 June 2019, who entered the fight on a 12-fight winning streak. He won the fight by a second-round stoppage, as Barreto's corner chose to retire their fighter at the end of the round.
Following a third-round stoppage of William Riera on 26 October 2019, Rodríguez Jr. was booked to face Jose Maria Cardenas on 30 November 2019, with the vacant WBC Latino super flyweight title on the line. He won the fight by a sixth-round technical knockout.

Rodríguez Jr. vs Ioka

On 2 December 2020, it was revealed that Rodríguez Jr. would challenge the reigning WBC super flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez. The fight was expected to take place on the undercard of the Canelo Álvarez and Callum Smith super middleweight title bout, which took place on 19 December 2020 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Martinez withdrew from the fight on 10 December, due to a non-COVID-19 related illness.
On 1 June 2021, the WBO ordered their reigning champion Kazuto Ioka to face Rodríguez Jr., who was at the time the #2 ranked super flyweight contender, in a mandatory title defense. The pair came to terms three weeks later, on 21 June, therefore successfully avoiding a purse bid. The fight was scheduled to take place on 1 September 2021, at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. Ioka won the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 116–112 in his favor.

Later super flyweight career

After his second failed title bid, Rodríguez Jr. moved up to bantamweight. He faced Arnulfo Salvador Rodriguez on 14 January 2022. Rodríguez Jr. won the fight by a seventh-round technical knockout. Rodríguez Jr. returned to super flyweight to face Erick Omar Lopez on 16 July 2022. He won the fight by a unanimous decision.
Rodríguez Jr. faced the WBO flyweight champion Junto Nakatani in a super flyweight non-title bout on 1 November 2022, on the undercard of the Hiroto Kyoguchi and Kenshiro Teraji title unification bout. He lost the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 98–91, 97–92 and 99–90. Rodríguez Jr. was deducted a point in the seventh round for landing a low blow.

Interim WBC flyweight champion

Rodríguez Jr. vs. Yafai

Rodríguez was in mandatory position to challenge British boxer Galal Yafai for his WBC interim flyweight title. The fight went to purse bids, with a winning bid of $222,000 by sole bidders Matchroom Boxing in March 2025. In April, the card was announced to take place at the bp pulse LIVE in Birmingham, England on 21 June 2025.
Rodríguez became the new WBC interim champion after defeating Yafai via a lopsided unanimous decision. Rodríguez showed that his experience, toughness, and all-around ability was too much for Yafai. The scorecards read 119–108, 119–108, and 118–109 all in favour of Rodríguez. He applied a non-stop attack from the beginning, while Yafai was never allowed to get close to hurting him. Yafai showed a lot of heart to hear the final bell. By mid fight, both boxers were cut around the eyes. Yafai was dropped in the seventh round, only for the referee to not call it a knockdown. it was evident from here that Yafai needed a stoppage, but he could not keep up with the pace Rodríguez had set. Prior to the ninth round, both men were checked over by the ringside doctor. Yafai was dropped in the twelfth round, but beat the count. His trainer Rob McCracken had the towel in his hands from this point, but allowed his boxer to hear the final bell. Rodríguez was now the mandatory for full champion Kenshiro Teraji. Rodríguez threw over 1000 punches, landing over half of them. CompuBox showed Rodríguez landed 575 of 1089 punches thrown and Yafai connected with 230 of his 795 thrown. It was later revealed that Rodríguez tested positive for the cardiac stimulant heptaminol, resulting in the WBC reinstating Yafai as interim champion. The WBC also requested the BBBofC to overturn the result to a no contest, though this has not yet come to pass. Rodríguez was later cleared of intentional drug use but placed by the WBC on a 12-month probationary period. A rematch with Yafai was originally ordered but later canceled. It emerged that Rodríguez had also failed a post-fight drug test in his previous fight against Josue Jesus Morales on 15 December 2024 in San Antonio, Texas, a result scored as a unanimous decision win but changed to a no contest.
On 25 October 2025, Rodríguez defeated Jesus Faro by TKO in the second round. Faro was a late replacement for Raul Rubio.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
49WinJesus FaroTKO2, 2:1125 Oct 2025Guadalupe, Mexico
48WinGalal YafaiUD1221 Jun 2025bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham, EnglandWBC interim flyweight title at stake;
Although the WBC requested a NC after Rodríguez failed a drug test, the BBBofC ultimately upheld Rodríguez's victory
47NCJosue MoralesUD815 Dec 2024Boeing Center at Tech Port, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.Originally UD win for Rodríguez Jr, later ruled NC after he failed a drug test
46Win39–6–1Jorge Ignacio VillalobosTKO1, 1:033 Aug 2024Guadalajara, Mexico
45Win38–6–1Jose Javier TorresTKO3, 2:5416 Mar 2024Guadalajara, Mexico
44Win37–6–1Joel CordovaUD1027 Jan 2023San Pedro, Mexico
43Loss36–6–1Junto NakataniUD101 Nov 2022Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
42Win36–5–1Erick Omar LopezUD1016 Jul 2022Torreón, Mexico
41Win35–5–1Arnulfo SalvadorTKO7, 2:5514 Jan 2022Arena Jose Sulaimán, Monterrey, Mexico
40Loss34–5–1Kazuto IokaUD121 Sep 2021Ota City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, JapanFor WBO super-flyweight title
39Win34–4–1Martin TecuapetlaSD1026 Feb 2021Lienzo Charro, Talpa de Allende, Mexico
38Win33–4–1Jose Maria CardenasKO6, 0:2130 Nov 2019Palenque de la Feria, Ciudad Victoria, MexicoWon vacant WBC Latino super-flyweight title
37Win32–4–1William RieraTKO3, 0:2026 Oct 2019Plaza de Toros, Cancún, Mexico
36Win31–4–1David Barreto2, 3:001 Jun 2019Gimnasio Municipal del Pueblo Mágico, Linares, Mexico
35Win30–4–1Oswaldo NovoaUD106 Apr 2019Grand Oasis Arena, Cancún, Mexico
34Win29–4–1Hernán MárquezKO3, 1:2020 Oct 2018Centro de Convenciones, Cozumel, Mexico
33Win28–4–1Yohei TobeKO2, 2:339 Jun 2018Gimnasio Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico
32Win27–4–1Pablo CarrilloTKO4, 1:5424 Mar 2018Lienzo Charro, Saltillo, Mexico
31Win26–4–1Ronald RamosTKO6, 2:4516 Dec 2017Grand Oasis Arena, Cancún, Mexico
30Win25–4–1Elias JoaquinoKO7, 2:3512 Aug 2017Grand Oasis Arena, Cancún, Mexico
29Win24–4–1Hector Rolando GusmanKO3, 1:353 Jun 2017Grand Oasis Arena, Cancún, Mexico
28Win23–4–1Hajime NagaiTD5, 1:224 Feb 2017Grand Oasis Arena, Cancún, MexicoNagai could not continue from accidental elbow
27Win22–4–1Crison OmayaoTKO5, 1:2129 Oct 2016Palenque Vicente Fernandez, Gomez Palacio, Mexico
26Win21–4–1Johnny Michel GarciaTKO5, 2:4423 Jul 2016Grand Oasis Arena, Cancún, Mexico
25Win20–4–1Ramón García HiralesUD1020 Feb 2016Arena José Sulaimán, Monterrey, Mexico
24Loss19–4–1Moisés FuentesSD125 Dec 2015Gimnasio Municipal Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Tecate, Mexico
23Loss19–3–1Donnie NietesUD1211 Jul 2015Waterfront Hotel & Casino, Cebu City, PhilippinesFor WBO and The Ring light-flyweight title
22Win19–2–1Jomar FajardoUD1031 Jan 2015Palenque de la Feria, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico
21Draw18–2–1Jomar Fajardo1015 Nov 2014Waterfront Hotel & Casino, Cebu City, Philippines
20Win18–2Katsunari TakayamaUD129 Aug 2014Arena Monterrey, Monterrey, MexicoRetained WBO mini-flyweight title;
Won IBF mini-flyweight title
19Win17–2Merlito SabilloTKO10, 1:0022 Mar 2014Arena Monterrey, Monterrey, MexicoWon WBO mini-flyweight title
18Win16–2Ernesto Guerrero5, 2:1118 Jan 2014Gimnasio del Estado, Hermosillo, MexicoUnanimous TD after Guerrero cut
17Win15–2Moises CallerosUD1215 Nov 2013Monterrey, Mexico
16Loss14–2Román GonzálezTKO7, 1:1021 Sep 2013Crowne Plaza, Managua, Nicaragua
15Win14–1Victor RuizTKO5, 2:0813 Jul 2013Forum Tecate, Tijuana, Mexico
14Win13–1Ivan RodriguezTKO5, 2:1619 Apr 2013Arena Solidaridad, Monterrey, MexicoWon vacant NABF light-flyweight title
13Win12–1Manuel VargasTKO3, 0:4426 Jan 2013Auditorio del Bicentenario, Morelia, Mexico
12Win11–1Eduardo HernandezTKO5, 1:0014 Dec 2012Arena Solidaridad, Monterrey, Mexico
11Win10–1Francisco Perez88 Sep 2012Deportivo del Sindicato del Metro, Mexico City, Mexico
10Win9–1Jorge GuerreroTKO4, 2:2721 Jul 2012Auditorio Fausto Gutierrez Moreno, Tijuana, Mexico
9Loss8–1Salvador Arias618 May 2012Arena TKT Box Tour, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
8Win8–0Sergio Nunez43 Mar 2012Auditorio Fausto Gutierrez Moreno, Tijuana, Mexico
7Win7–0Luis GonzalezTKO1, 2:2417 Dec 2011Palenque de la Feria, Ciudad Obregón, Mexico
6Win6–0Artemio GarciaTKO1, 1:4815 Sep 2011Auditorio Ernesto Rufo, Rosarito, Mexico
5Win5–0Arturo CastroTKO2, 3:006 Aug 2011Cortijo San Felipe, Monterrey, Mexico
4Win4–0Gerardo GarayKO2, 2:5918 Mar 2011Arena Solidaridad, Monterrey, Mexico
3Win3–0Mike GueskaKO1, 0:244 Mar 2011Music Hall, Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
2Win2–0Reynaldo Avila2, 1:217 Oct 2010Estadio de Béisbol, Monterrey, Mexico
1Win1–0Erick Ventura1, 0:012 Oct 2010Estadio de Béisbol, Monterrey, Mexico