Francisco Rodriguez Jr. Defeats WBC Interim Flyweight Champion Galal Yafai in Birmingham

Galal Yafai, the WBC interim flyweight champion and 2020 Olympic gold medalist, suffered a unanimous decision loss to former unified minimumweight champion Francisco Rodriguez Jr. in a grueling 12-round bout at the bp pulse LIVE Arena in Birmingham. Rodriguez Jr. dominated the fight with a high volume of accurate power punches, landing over 50% of his shots and dropping Yafai in the final round, with the referee allowing Yafai to survive largely through excessive holding. Commentator Adam Smith criticized Yafai for "boxing the wrong fight" by attempting to slug with Rodriguez Jr., whose relentless performance overwhelmed Yafai, whose face was badly cut and bruised. The bout's outcome positions Rodriguez Jr. as a significant contender, while Yafai, despite the loss, remains a respected fighter with a path toward facing unified flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji. The event also featured other title defenses, including Conah Walker's British welterweight title defense. The fight highlighted Rodriguez Jr.'s return to prominence and Yafai's ongoing quest to transition from Olympic success to professional world champion status.