Antonio Vargas vows to 'show the world' ahead of Bam Rodriguez clash

WBA bantamweight champion Antonio Vargas believes his weekend showdown with Bam Rodriguez represents the defining moment of his professional career.

Matchroom released behind-the-scenes footage showing Vargas grinding through hill sprints and incline runs as part of his camp preparation for the pound-for-pound contender. The titleholder treats the conditioning work as a simulation of championship-round adversity, according to Bad Left Hook.

Vargas sees Rodriguez fight as career-defining platform

"I look at the sprints as this is the 11th and 12th round and I got to dig deep," Vargas said in the video. "Sometimes if you don't win those two rounds you don't secure the fight, so trying to finish hard and give it my all because in the ring you never know what could happen."

Vargas acknowledged the scale of the challenge in facing Rodriguez, who sits at No. 4 on most pound-for-pound lists. The champion said the matchup gives him the platform he needs to demonstrate his own credentials at the elite level.

"This is definitely the biggest fight of my career, biggest platform as well," he said. "Motivates me to train hard show the world who I am."

The bout airs this weekend as Vargas looks to retain his WBA strap against one of the sport's most decorated champions.

Reported via:

• Bad Left Hook — ‘Show the world who I am’: Antonio Vargas prepares for biggest fight of his career against Bam Rodriguez