McDonnell vs Vargas: Find out a bit more about Mexican Rey Vargas

Gavin McDonnell is facing a familiar name when he challenges Rey Vargas for the vacant WBC super-bantamweight title, live on Sky Sports, but here's a few stats and facts about the latest Vargas trying to put Mexican boxing back on the map.

Who is Rey Vargas?

An unbeaten 26-year-old Mexican, who has worked his way up to become No 1 contender in the WBC super-bantamweight rankings.

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I've heard of that name...

Well, he shares the surname with some famous compatriots. Jessie, the former world super-lightweight world champion who just took Manny Pacquiao the distance, Francisco or 'El Bandito' and of course, Fernando Vargas, 'El Feroz' or 'Ferocious', who could punch and take out the best.

Are they related?

It's a common name in that part of the world, but we do know that Rey is not the twin brother of any of them, unlike Gavin and Jamie, the current WBA bantamweight champion. The twins could both be world champions come Saturday night if Gavin can pick up the vacant title.

Hang on, how come it's vacant? Why isn't McDonnell challenging a champion?

Hozumi Hasegawa has retired. The Japanese star had held world titles at bantam and featherweight and wanted to fill the gap in the middle when he took on Hugo Ruiz in September, out in the Land Of The Rising Sun. Hasegawa stopped the champion in the ninth, picked up the WBC strap then called it a day straight away. In fact, he had promised to retire, win, lose or draw.

How come McDonnell and Vargas are fighting for it?

The WBC initially suggested that Guillermo Rigondeaux would be the man to get a shot at it once it was vacant, but he hasn't boxed since coming over here to fight James "Jazza" Dickens last July.

So what happened to that?

Rigondeaux is still the WBA holder and has a mandatory defence against another Mexican, Moises Flores, and unifications are a rarity involving the WBC. So Vargas won the WBC International Silver title last year and McDonnell the basic Silver strap, which tells you that the Mexican has the edge in terms of rankings.

Does Vargas have the edge when it comes to fighting as well?

It looks that way but Gavin is unbeaten himself. Vargas will bring a frightening 79 per cent knockout ratio into the ring and his KO record is better than fellow Vargas 'Fernando', who had a mere 71 per cent. Rey has stopped 22 of his opponents with 11 of them coming inside the first two rounds.

Has he been in with any decent fighters?

Well he's only boxed outside Mexico twice, and been scheduled to go the full 12 championship rounds twice, including last time out when he stopped former two-time super-flyweight world champion Alexander Munoz of Venezuela, in five.

Anything else about Vargas?

His trainer is none other than living Mexican legend and Hall of Famer, Ignacio Beristáin. 'Nacho' has been behind some of Mexico's biggest names and even bigger gains, including Ricardo Lopez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Rafael Marquez, Daniel Zaragoza, Oscar de la Hoya, Jorge Arce, Jhonny Gonzalez...

We get the picture, but what about Vargas himself?

He is not the first or last Mexican to have an excellent amateur career, winning the WBC Youth Silver and International silvers in 2013, a year after becoming the IBF's world No 1. Luke Campbell faced him a few years ago in the amateur ranks, out-pointing him but was impressed: "I haven't seen how he's got on at pro, but Vargas was tall, quick and strong and gave me a tough fight. He was big at the weight back then."

He was tall, quick and strong and gave me a tough fight. He was big at the weight back then.

He obviously has been around already. Does he still live in Mexico?

He does indeed. His two fights outside his homeland were in California, but he resides in Otumba, a cool - literally - 5,400 miles away from Hull.

Otumba? Where on earth is that?

North east of Mexico City, perhaps best-known for the annual donkey festival, which is known as the 'donkeydrome' and is not as quaint as you may think, according to the Daily Mail. Last year animal rights demonstrators made a stance, after 5,000 locals cheered donkey races down the streets.

That is not good to hear, so cheer me up and tell me where to put my money...

Well, McDonnell is fighting on home soil making the short trip from Doncaster, but Sky Bet still have him as the underdog at 15/8. Vargas is 2/5 on and the draw, is the standard 25/1.

Watch Gavin McDonnell vs Rey Vargas for the vacant WBC world super-bantamweight title from the Hull Ice Arena, live on Sky Sports 2 on Saturday from 8.00pm.