According to preliminary information, the WBC is going to oblige the newly crowned WBC featherweight champion Mark Magsio (24-0, 16 KOs) meet Ray Vargas. Magsio won the belt last Saturday, defeating the long-reigning but heavily inactive Gary Russell Jr. (31-2, 18 KOs) in Atlantic City, USA.
Initially, the right to meet with Russell was granted to Vargas (35-0, 22 KOs), who instead chose to hold an intermediate fight after a long absence from the ring. This decision paved the way for Magsayo to a title fight and also set the stage for the undefeated Mexican to be next in line.
“I had a long downtime due to injury, and then covid. But, thank God, I'm back," Vargas said during his speech at the WBC weekly session. — I can't ask for anything more. That I can get a title fight against Magsayo makes me very, very happy.”
Vargas became the mandatory challenger after moving up in weight after his long reign at super bantamweight. His featherweight debut was due in March 2020 but was canceled due to the initial wave of the ongoing pandemic. Hopes of returning once the sport is back on track were dashed after Vargas suffered a leg injury that kept him out of the ring for all of 2020 and most of 2021.
The 31-year-old fighter from Otumba, Mexico, who is trained by the legendary Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain, finally returned to the ring last November with a landslide 10-round unanimous decision victory over Leonardo Baez. This fight took place on the undercard of his compatriot Saul "Canelo" Alvarez's historic stoppage victory over Caleb Plant. It also meant that Magsayo got the right to meet with Russell.
Russell stated after the loss that he fought with a torn tendon that he developed in preparation and which worsened in the fourth round, and Magsio eventually did enough to win his first title fight of his career.
“Mark Magsio is a bigger fighter than Russell, but he is smarter and not just relying on strength. Magsio is very smart in the ring,” Vargas said.
