After being shut out against Errol Spence Jr. in his welterweight debut last March, Garcia notched his first victory in the division, a unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas, on Saturday night, live on DAZN. Judges at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, scored it 116-111, 116-111 and 114-113, all in favor of Garcia, who used a fifth-round knockdown to power his way to the victory.
“I think I carried the weight a little bit better and that allowed me to perform better,” Garcia told DAZN’s Chris Mannix of his second crack at 147 pounds.
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After notching the victory, Garcia once again expressed his desire to fight Manny Pacquiao.
“I’m ready to get back in with the best,” Garcia said. “I would love to get an opportunity to fight Manny Pacquiao or rematch against Errol Spence. I think it would be a tremendous fight. I’m a little bit better now at this weight class.”
When asked whether he thinks a Pacquiao fight could actually happen, Garcia spoke with confidence and optimism.
“I think it’s very likely that we’re considered as a likely opponent,” he said, “because we proved ourself to be able to compete against one of the bigger former world champs of the division.”
Vargas peppered Garcia with his jab early on and mixed in some power shots to stifle the four-division world champion through the first four rounds. Garcia’s patience paid off in the fifth, however, when he unloaded a stinging left-right combination that dropped Vargas with a thud. Vargas’ legs turned into jelly instantly; he just managed to survive the round.
Although Vargas proved to be game and gutsy by fighting and punching away, Garcia continued to assert that left-right combination. He threatened a stoppage in the seventh round, when the referee had to take a long, hard look, and made Vargas wobbly again in the 10th round with that same hard right hand.
Here’s how the entire Garcia-Vargas card unfolded:
Mikey Garcia vs. Jessie Vargas updates, highlights
Main event: Mikey Garcia edges Jessie Vargas by unanimous decision for first welterweight victory
12:12 a.m.: There it is: 114-113, 116-111 and 116-111, all in favor of Garcia.
Round 12: The fighters tap gloves to start the final round. Vargas is leaning into Garcia’s body, clearly fatigued. Vargas is trying to smother Garcia with his body and land whatever shots he can while in the clinch. Anything to win the round and have a prayer on the cards. Garcia splits Vargas’ guard with a left-right combination. Vargas lands a lunging left hook moments later. Give him credit for not having the legs but still punching away. Garcia hits Vargas right on the top of the head and wobbles him yet again. This was Vargas’ round until Garcia landed the shot. Just as that’s said, Vargas lands a stiff right hand in the final seconds to take the round. Let’s see how judges score it. (10-9, Vargas; 116-111, Garcia)
Round 11: A left-right combination rocks Vargas across the jaw. That right hand continues to be the heaviest punch of this fight. Vargas keeps punching and lands two right hands of his own. A left hook lands for Vargas during the waning seconds as well. He might have done just enough to get the frame. (10-9, Vargas; 107-101, Garcia)
Round 10: A Garcia right hand hurts Vargas. He keeps setting it up the same way — with a left jab that touches Vargas before he unloads with the right. Vargas is wobbly again, yet Garcia continues to show patience. Vargas tries to keep moving forward as he stays in this fight. (10-9, Garcia; 98-91, Garcia)
Midnight: Can Garcia get a finish? You can see him working toward it.
Round 9: Garcia comes over the top with a chopping right hand that rocks Vargas, yet Vargas is still game. Garcia peppers him with a jab moments later. The action and pace continue to slow, though one can see that Garcia is setting up another power shot. (10-9, Garcia; 88-82, Garcia)
Round 8: Garcia is measuring Vargas with that right hand and throwing his jab as well. Vargas’ eyes are badly swollen. A stinging left-right combination lands for Garcia. Right hook lands for Garcia moments later. He’s in complete control. The pace has slowed in this round. (10-9, Garcia; 78-73, Garcia)
Round 7: Garcia is patiently stalking Vargas and coming over the top with a hard right hand to the head. It took some time, but Garcia has established that, despite being the smaller man, he’s the bigger puncher. A left-right combination lands for Garcia and he’s bringing the pain to Vargas, who’s seemingly wobbled again. Garcia is teeing off on Vargas against the ropes, but Vargas gets saved by the bell. The ref took a long, hard look during those waning seconds. (10-9, Garcia; 68-64, Garcia)
Round 6: Vargas is still on shaky legs and Garcia is tagging him; it’s target practice right now. Vargas is trying to press forward, however. Vargas is doing his best to get his legs back this round, but they’re still shaky. Garcia takes the round, but Vargas did a good job of avoiding damage. (10-9, Garcia; 58-55, Garcia)
Round 5: Vargas is working the body and going to Garcia’s head. He’s in a rhythm and working off a power jab to the body. Still, he has blood pouring down his face. Vargas’ volume is high right now. Whoa! Garcia catches Vargas with a massive right hook. Vargas is wobbly. He’s badly hurt. Garcia drops Vargas with a stinging left-right combination!
Garcia is loading up and pelting Vargas with shot after shot. Vargas is in survival mode up against the ropes. There’s the bell. But Garcia being patient paid off in a major way. (10-8, Garcia; 48-46, Garcia)
Round 4: Counter left lands for Garcia, but Vargas returns fire with a hard left hook of his own. Garcia doubles up on a left hook. Vargas catches Garcia with a check left hook moments later. Garcia delivers a hard right hand moments later. Garcia now stalking Vargas and hitting him on the move. Another close round. (10-9, Garcia; 38-38)
Round 3: Garcia sneaks in a hard left jab in the opening 30 seconds. A left hook lands for Garcia moments later. He’s having success getting inside. They clash heads, and Vargas checks for blood. There’s none. Vargas catching Garcia when Garcia is punching. He’s punching through Garcia’s punches. But Garcia lands a combination and presses forward with more punches. Vargas comes on strong during the waning seconds of the round. (10-9, Garcia; 29-28, Vargas)
11:30 p.m.: Vargas is coming out strong early. Garcia is looking for answers.
Round 2: Vargas pumping that left jab — to the body and upstairs. Hard 1-2 combination follows. Sharp combination from Garcia in response, but Vargas comes back with shots of his own in a brief exchange. Vargas lands that left hook again, but Garcia returns fire with a nice counterpunch. Straight left hand for Garcia lands as well. Solid right hands to Garcia’s body from Vargas. A closer round, but Vargas doing enough to capture this frame as well. (10-9, Vargas; 20-18, Vargas)
Round 1: Both fighters feeling are each other out in the opening seconds. You can see how much bigger Vargas is. He is trying to assert his jab early on as the more aggressive fighter. Both boxers swing and Vargas lands a grazing left hook. Garcia lands a right moments later. Vargas is finding success burying his left hand into Garcia’s midsection. A big left hook smacks Garcia across the face. The four-division world champ has been put on notice of Vargas’ power. Will it keep him from getting inside? (10-9, Vargas)
11:22 p.m.: The great Michael Buffer has done his formal ring introductions and we’re seconds away from getting it on at this point.
11:13 p.m.: Jessie Vargas has made his ring walk; here comes four-division world champion Mikey Garcia.
The 32-year-old Garcia is coming off his first pro loss. Will he find his footing at welterweight or will Vargas prove that the decorated boxer isn’t cut out for 147 pounds? We’re about to find out.
11 p.m.: A jubilant moment for “Chocolatito,” who proves to himself and the boxing world that he’s still a force in that ring.
Co-main event: Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez blasts Kal Yafai in ninth-round TKO to win WBA junior bantamweight title
Round 9: Whoa! The four-division world champion drops Yafai with a monstrous right hand across the jaw! Yafai is badly hurt. He’s not going to be able to continue. This one’s a wrap! Huge win for the veteran, who hands Yafai his first pro loss. Incredible moment for “Chocolatito.” The king is back!
Round 8: These short, compact punches keep landing for “Chocolatito.” Being the bigger man has not paid dividends for Yafai. Scintillating combination inside for Gonzalez. “Chocolatito” buries a left to the body and then drives Yafai’s head back with a stiff right hand. He drops Yafai by going to the body and back upstairs! (10-8, Gonzalez; 78-73, Gonzalez)
Round 7: Gonzalez has roughly double the pro experience of Yafai, and it’s showing as he continues to dig away inside. But why does Yafai insist on fighting the veteran’s fight? It’s as though he’s trying to make a statement standing toe-to-toe, but he doesn’t have the firepower. “Chocolatito” is backing the champ down against the ropes and just swinging away. Yafai’s left eye is swollen from all those shots. Gonzalez is just relentless. (10-9, Gonzalez; 68-65, Gonzalez)
Round 6: Gonzalez has a cut over his right eye. The ref warns Yafai about head-butting. Yafai is the bigger, stronger fighter but he’s being outworked inside. “Chocolatito” simply has a higher volume of punching that Yafai is going to have to quell to defend his title. Gonzalez burying a left hook to the body and going upstairs has been his bread and butter this bout. (10-9, Gonzalez; 58-56, Gonzalez)
Round 5: “Chocolatito” goes upstairs and then digs to the body. He’s the busier boxer right now, but Yafai is doing a nice job counterpunching, before the two just stand and trade. Yafai’s punches are heavier, but Gonzalez is the more active of the two and is fighting his fight. (10-9, Gonzalez; 48-47, Gonzalez)
10:30 p.m.: This is shaping up to be quite a fight. Neither boxer is backing down or giving the other an inch. Electric action thus far.
Round 4: Yafai is earning Gonzalez’s respect the hard way — by standing in front of him locked in the phone booth and taking turns teeing off. He’s walking down “Chocolatito” in the process. He knows that Gonzalez is the big name he needs on his resume. Gonzalez scores to the body and lands a right to the head in a relentless pursuit of the champ late in the round to take the frame. (10-9, Gonzalez; 38-38)
Round 3: Yafai doing a nice job of catching Gonzalez to break the action inside and bounce back inside. That’s smart because Gonzalez has been the aggressor when inside. But “Chocolatito” is back digging into Yafai with short uppercuts and hooks inside. (10-9, Yafai; 29-28, Yafai)
Round 2: “Chocolatito” in a nice groove, especially landing that left uppercut in a nice rhythm. A right uppercut seemed to buzz Yafai briefly late in the round. A solid round for Gonzalez. (10-9, Gonzalez; 19-19)
Round 1: A close first round with Yafai seemingly fighting Gonzalez’s fight but doing enough to take the round. (10-9, Yafai)
10 p.m.: The co-main event is up next: Kal Yafai defends his WBA junior bantamweight title against Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.
Julio Cesar Martinez def. Jay Harris by unanimous decision behind relentless attack to the body
9:46 p.m.: Judges score it 118-109, 116-111 and 115-112, all in favor of Martinez, who’s successful in his first title defense.
9:44 p.m.: What a fight. Martinez and Harris had themselves some phone-booth fireworks for a bulk of that bout. Harris’ body is going to feel like mush Sunday morning.
9:40 p.m.: Martinez has pretty much emptied his arsenal by throwing seemingly every punch from every angle, and yet . . . Harris remains right in front of his face. Some showing of guts and determination from this more-than-game challenger with the 12th round next.
9:34 p.m.: Those body shots finally took their toll: Martinez brings Harris to a knee in the 10th round following thudding power punches to the body. Harris is up but Martinez is already back on the attack.
9:30 p.m.: In the ninth round, as this fight remains in the phone booth. Harris remains right in the champ’s face. Martinez is doling out more punishment than he’s taking, but Harris is making his shots count, too. This is getting more intriguing by the minute.
9:24 p.m.: Martinez is the more talented boxer, but Harris has big-time heart. He just took the seventh round after a crisp three-punch combination split the champ’s guard and drove his head back. Excellent round for Harris, who keeps finding a way.
9:15 p.m.: A majority of the fifth round was fought in the phone booth, with Martinez getting the better of the exchanges by rocking Harris’ body and tagging him upstairs as well. These body shots are going to take a toll on the challenger. They’ve got to.
9:10 p.m.: Martinez buries a left to Harris’ body and then goes upstairs with a right in the fourth round now. That sequence briefly quells the firefight we’ve seen at times early in this bout. Entertaining, to say the least. Martinez is a highly skilled fighter, but Harris is tough and is doing an especially good job landing hard shots during the waning seconds of rounds.
9:05 p.m.: Harris had a good second round, but still got rocked with a scintillating right hand — the best punch of the frame.
9 p.m.: Martinez is as good as it gets with both hands. Everything is lightning-quick and accurate. The defending WBC flyweight champ already has his challenger on notice with his ambidextrous skill and power, especially when it comes to his left, sweeping uppercut. Dazzling stuff in that first round.
8:47 p.m.: Newly crowned WBC flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez is up next, defending his title against Jay Harris. Martinez was absolutely sensational in December when he defeated Cristofer Rosales to win the title. The 25-year-old Martinez’s switch-hitting style is something to see.
8:41 p.m.: Parker tells DAZN’s Chris Mannix that he wants a fight with Dereck Chisora and a rematch with Dillian Whyte this year. Parker lost to Whyte via unanimous decision in July 2018.
Joseph Parker crushes Shawndell Winters for fifth-round TKO
8:36 p.m.: Just … like … that! Parker buckled Winters’ knees with a hard right hand across the jaw and then came back with a flush right-left-right combo to drop Winters almost through the ring ropes in the fifth.
Winters made it up to his feet but was in no condition to continue.
8:33 p.m.: Winters did pretty well for himself that fourth round, even clipping Parker with a check left hook that opened a cut over the former champ’s right eye.
8:30 p.m.: A big, chopping right hand drops Winters with a thud late in the third round. Let’s see if Parker can close things out here in the fourth.
8:20 p.m.: Parker asserted a hard jab that first round. Let’s see how he adds to it.
8:10 p.m.: Former world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker kicks off this main card against Shawndell Winters. Parker will be trying to push himself back to the forefront of a red-hot heavyweight division.
8 p.m.: Doubling down at welterweight after his division debut ended in his first pro loss is a bold move for Mikey Garcia. We’re going to see how he fares tonight. This main card is now live. Rock with Sporting News here for all the live updates and highlights.
7:50 p.m.: The main card is 10 minutes away from launching. It should be an excellent night of boxing all around.
7:42 p.m.: Make that five wins — all by knockout — to start his pro career for Israil Madrimov. He dropped Navarro with a crunching body shot, before dropping him again for a sixth-round TKO.
7:30 p.m.: Israil Madrimov vs. Charlie Navarro in junior middleweight action here. They’re in the third round of a 10-round fight. Stay locked in with Sporting News for all the live updates and round-by-round highlights tonight.
What time does the Garcia vs. Vargas fight start?
Prelims: 6 p. m. ET | 3 p. m. PT Main card: 8 p. m. ET | 5 p. m. PT Main event: 11 p. m. ET | 8 p. m. PT (approx. )
Coverage of the Mikey Garcia vs. Jessie Vargas fight will begin with the undercard at 6 p.m. with the main card slated for an 8 p.m. start. Vargas and Garcia are expected to make their ring walks for the main event at about 11 p.m., although that time depends on the length of earlier fights.
Garcia vs. Vargas fight card
Main card
Mikey Garcia vs. Jessie Vargas; welterweights Kal Yafai vs. Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez for Yafai’s WBA junior bantamweight title Julio Cesar Martinez vs. Jay Harris for Martinez’s WBC flyweight title Joseph Parker vs. Shawndell Winters; heavyweights
Undercard
Diego Pacheco vs. Oscar Riojas; super middleweights Israil Madrimov vs. Charlie Navarro; junior middleweights Alexis Espino vs. Delvecchio Savage; super middleweights Leo Ruiz Acevedo vs. Dennis Knifechief; junior middleweights Jesse Rodriguez vs. Marco Sustaita; flyweights
