Galal Yafai: Japan Flyweight Title Fight Aim
- Olympic gold medalist Galal Yafai, 32, is set to box Francisco Rodriguez Jr., 32, of Monterrey, Mexico, this Saturday at the bp pulse LIVE Arena in Birmingham, england.
- yafai (9-0,7 KOs) expressed enthusiasm about a potential return to Japan,where he captured Olympic gold in the 52kg flyweight division in 2021.
- The Birmingham native is focused on the immediate challenge. "Japan is a great country for the smaller weights...but I have to beat Rodrigues first before I can start...
Galal Yafai, the Olympic gold medalist, aggressively pursues the WBC interim flyweight title, setting his sights on a potential fight in Japan. Yafai is scheduled to face Francisco Rodriguez Jr., with the winner poised to challenge the victor of an upcoming bout in Yokohama. The Birmingham native envisions a return to Japan, fueled by past success and the allure of securing his first world boxing title in the country where he won Olympic gold. This fight represents a crucial step toward Yafai’s ambition of competing in Japan, a prospect that excites him, creating a buzz in the boxing world. Read the full story on News Directory 3 for the latest updates. Discover what’s next for Yafai.
Galal yafai Eyes Flyweight Title, Japan Return
Updated June 19, 2025
Olympic gold medalist Galal Yafai, 32, is set to box Francisco Rodriguez Jr., 32, of Monterrey, Mexico, this Saturday at the bp pulse LIVE Arena in Birmingham, england. The WBC interim flyweight title is on the line,with the victor advancing to face the winner of the Kenshiro Teraji-Ricardo Rafael Sandoval bout scheduled for July 30 in Yokohama,Japan.
yafai (9-0,7 KOs) expressed enthusiasm about a potential return to Japan,where he captured Olympic gold in the 52kg flyweight division in 2021. “If teraji comes through and I win on Saturday then I would be more than willing to go to Japan and fight him at the end of the year,” Yafai said. He added, “It’s a good omen my history there, and it would be nice to go back there and win my first world title in Japan after winning the Olympics there too.”
The Birmingham native is focused on the immediate challenge. “Japan is a great country for the smaller weights…but I have to beat Rodrigues first before I can start thinking about it,” Yafai said.
Yafai is coming off a notable sixth-round stoppage of Sunny Edwards last November to secure the WBC interim title. However, he acknowledges the experience of Rodriguez (39-6-1, 27 KOs), who is moving down a division for this fight. Rodriguez previously pushed Junto Nakatani,the current WBC-IBF bantamweight champion,to a 10-round decision in 2022.