Robert Garcia: "The Jesse Rodriguez vs. Naoya Inoue Fight Will Definitely Happen"

Trainer Robert Garcia, who mentors the reigning WBC, WBA, and WBO junior bantamweight champion Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez, has spoken out about the inevitability of a showdown against the undisputed junior featherweight king, Naoya Inoue. Garcia shared that his fighter is ready to take radical steps to make this match a reality.

“I’m not hunting for the Inoue fight, but it will definitely happen. It’s there — why wouldn’t it? It’s not that I’m already working on it or in negotiations.

After the Junto Nakatani vs. Inoue bout in Saudi Arabia, people from Saudi Arabia started calling me and asking: 'What about this fight? Is it going to happen?'. On social media, everyone was talking about Bam vs. Inoue — they weren't even mentioning the main event of the evening. This fight will happen.

If I tell Bam that this fight is real, he will immediately move up to the junior featherweight division. He doesn't care. Bam wants to fight anyone,” Garcia said.

Jesse Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs) had a stellar 2025, unifying titles by knocking out Juan Francisco Estrada (earlier in his career) and most recently Fernando Martinez in November 2025. He is now just one belt away from becoming undisputed in his current weight class.

Naoya Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs) maintained his dominance last year, defeating four opponents, including a victory over David Picasso in December. In 2026, he is expected to face Junto Nakatani in Japan, likely in the first quarter (around May).

Should both champions continue their winning streaks, the clash between two of the world's top pound-for-pound fighters could become the biggest event of late 2026 or early 2027.