Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez' Ultimate Goal: Fighting Naoya Inoue Before Retirement

Jesse Rodriguez has made his long-term plans known for a while, and he is sticking to them after knocking out Antonio Vargas to become a three-division champion.

Rodriguez' ultimate goal remains a fight with the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Naoya Inoue.

'Money is important, but legacy is important as well,' Rodriguez said after beating Vargas. 'I feel like I can’t retire without fighting Inoue.'

Rodriguez’ move up to 118 pounds puts him one division closer to Inoue, the undisputed 122-pound champion.

With Rodriguez sitting at No. 4 on Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound rankings and No. 3 on ESPN's, a matchup with Inoue is the highest pound-for-pound matchup that can currently be made.

Rodriguez is targeting a unification bout with either IBF bantamweight champion Jose Salas Reyes or WBO titleholder Christian Medina in his next fight.