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Mark Magsayo and Rey Vargas will battle for the WBC Featherweight Championship this Saturday night at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
This will be Magsayo's first title defense since dethroning longtime champion Gary Russell Jr. back in January. Vargas, meanwhile, is a former WBC Super Bantamweight Champion and will look to capture gold in his second weight class.
The bout has a high chance of being an exciting affair. Both boxers are undefeated and both have proved their championship-level caliber. While neither man wields Naseem Hamed-level knockout power, both have scored over 60% of their career wins via stoppage, which begs the question: who is the better knockout artist?
Mark Magsayo vs. Rey Vargas: Who has more dynamite in their gloves?
Mark 'Magnifico' Magsayo currently holds a record of 24-0, with 16 of his wins coming by way of knockout. This means he has a knockout percentage of 66.67%. Rey Vargas has recorded 35 wins in his professional career with zero defeats, with 22 of his wins coming by way of knockout. This gives him a knockout percentage of 62.86%.
While the stats show that Vargas has more knockouts overall, 'Magnifico' has the greater percentage, meaning he may hold a slight advantage in the power department. It's also important to note that 'Magnifico' has scored more knockouts in his last few fights than Vargas.
Before he challenged for the WBC Title, Magsayo scored a brutal knockout over Julio Ceja in August 2021. Before fighting Ceja, he knocked out Pablo Cruz in April. Meanwhile, Vargas has won his last seven fights via decision. He has not scored a knockout since September 2016 when he stopped Alexander Munoz in the fifth round.
This does not mean, however, that the former WBC Super Bantamweight Champion is not an aggressive fighter. Vargas tends to be active in the ring and likes to throw punches in bunches. His bouts against Ronny Rios and Oscar Negrete in particular showcased his propensity for volume punching.
Mark Magsayo has also shown a fondness for throwing a lot of punches. Against Gary Russell Jr. in January, the Filipino fighter found immense success with his forward pressure and combinations.
Magsayo vs. Vargas will be a fight between two rising stars. 'Magnifico' will look to begin a long reign as the WBC Featherweight Champion and Rey Vargas will want to continue his success by capturing a world title in his second weightclass. The bout has a lot of potential to be a thrilling contest as both fighters have a habit of answering fire with fire.
