Mark Magsayo makes his first defence of the WBC Featherweight title this weekend in San Antonio, Texas, as he takes on Rey Vargas. It promises to be an exciting night of action, with both fighters coming into the bout with perfect records. Find a rundown of both fighters and the latest odds for the bout here.
Mark Magsayo vs Rey Vargas Tale Of The Tape
| Mark Magsayo | Rey Vargas | |
| 27 | Age | 31 |
| 24-0 | Record | 35-0 |
| 5 ft 6 ½ in | Height | 5 ft 10 ½ in |
| 67 ½ in | Reach | 70 ½ in |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
Latest Odds
The latest BetXchange odds highlight how close this fight is expected to be on Saturday evening. At present, Rey Vargas is the narrow 15/20 favorite, while the reigning champion is a 19/20 chance. In the 3-way betting market, there is also the option of the draw. That selection is currently a 16/1 chance with BetXchange.
Magsayo Defends Title For First Time
Mark Magsayo comes into the title fight this weekend as the outsider in the betting. He has won all 24 previous professional fights, with 16 victories coming by the way of knockout. He has been the WBC champion since capturing the belt with a majority decision victory over Gary Russell Jr in January. That was a strong display by the champion, but it’s not enough to see him go into this fight as the favourite.
Magsayo previously held the WBO international featherweight title last year, as he beat Julio Ceja by KO in the tenth round. The victory earlier in the year was the first time that the champion had been taken the distance since his split decision win against Rigoberto Hermosillo in October 2020. The experience of going the distance could be crucial coming into this weekend, as that may be decisive in the latter stages of the bout.
Vargas Looking For Second World Title
Rey Vargas will be looking to become a two-weight world champion this weekend after dominating the super bantamweight division between 2016 and 2019. He won the WBC super bantamweight title back in August 2017, as he beat Gavin McDonnell by majority decision in Hull. Since that win, he has successfully outboxed every fighter that he has been in the ring with, beating names such as Oscar Negrete, Tomoki Kameda and Ronny Rios by unanimous decision.
His latest fight came in November of last year, as he stepped up into the featherweight division for the first time. It was a successful first fight in that company, as he beat Leonardo Baez after ten rounds of boxing by unanimous decision in Las Vegas. However, this is a bigger test, as he challenges for the world title against a fighter that has been dominant in this division. But, he looks more than ready for the challenge.
Mark Magsayo vs Rey Vargas Prediction
Cases can be made for both fighters this weekend, as it could be a fight that goes either way. However, the slight preference is for Magsayo, who looked more comfortable in his previous fight. He will need to be at the top of his game this weekend, but he looks the best value in the betting.
