Rey Vargas made a triumphant return on Saturday night after an extended hiatus. In their 10-round featherweight bout on the Canelo Alvarez-Caleb Plant undercard at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Vargas displayed increased activity and accuracy against Leonardo Baez. While the early crowd wasn't electrified, Vargas convincingly claimed victory in this Mexican clash with a unanimous decision.
Judges Eric Cheek (100-90), Glenn Feldman (99-91), and David Sutherland (100-90) all scored Vargas as the dominant winner in the second fight of Showtime’s four-fight pay-per-view event. Vargas, a former WBC super bantamweight champion with a record of 35-0 and 22 KOs, opted for a featherweight bout against Baez (21-5, 12 KOs, 1 NC) to shake off rust and end a two-year hiatus.
At 30 years old, Vargas fought for the first time since July 2019, recovering from a fractured leg during that time. The tall and rangy Vargas, hailing from Otumba, Mexico, debuted in the featherweight division at 126 pounds. Baez, 26, also predominantly fought at 122 pounds but had experience at the junior lightweight limit of 130 pounds.
Despite being ahead in the match, Vargas continued to out-land Baez, who displayed ineffective aggression in the 10th round. Baez pressed in the ninth round, but Vargas countered with overhand rights and an accidental clash of heads caused a cut around Baez’s right eye.
In the eighth round, Vargas controlled the match, and an accidental clash of heads led to a warning for Baez for leading with his head. The seventh round saw a toe-to-toe exchange, with Vargas briefly touching the canvas after a push from Baez.
Throughout the fight, Vargas strategically targeted Baez's body, landing significant blows in the sixth round. The fifth round was competitive, with a low left hand from Vargas during a wrestling exchange. Baez returned to his corner with marks around his right eye after a challenging fourth round.
In the third round, Baez lunged at Vargas, landing a left hook, but Vargas responded with a powerful right uppercut and straight right hand. The second round witnessed Baez backing Vargas into the ropes, though Vargas seemed off balance. The opening round saw Vargas initiating the attack, landing a left uppercut that backed up Baez.
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