Review by AllTheBestFights.com: 2016-06-04, fantastic fight thanks to an amazing performance by both boxers: this was an absolute war and this is what we want from a candidate for Fight of the Year 2016, Francisco Vargas vs Orlando Salido gets five stars!The undefeated Wbc champion Francisco Vargas entered this fight with a boxing record of 23-0-1 (17 knockouts) and he is ranked as the No.1 super featherweight in the world. He fought twice last year beating Will Tomlinson (=Vargas vs Tomlinson) and Takashi Miura (The Ring magazine Fight of the Year 2015, Miura vs Vargas).
His opponent, the former world champion in two different weight classes Orlando Salido, has an official record of 43-13-3 (30 knockouts) and he entered as the No.10 in the same weight class but his last victory occurred in 2014, against Terdsak Kokietgym (4-stars fight, Salido vs Kokietgym). After this bout ‘Siri’ Salido faced Roman Martinez twice in 2015 losing the first fight (=Salido vs Martinez I) and drawing the second one (=Martinez vs Salido II). Vargas vs Salido is valid for the WBC World super featherweight title (Vargas’ first defense). Watch the video and rate this fight!
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Date: 2016-06-04
Where: StubHub Center, Carson, California, USA
Division: super featherweight (130 lbs, 59.0 kg)
Title: WBC World super featherweight title
Vargas’ previous fight: Takashi Miura vs Francisco Vargas
Salido’s previous fight: Roman Martinez vs Orlando Salido 2
Vargas’ next fight: Francisco Vargas vs Miguel Berchelt
Salido’s next fight: Orlando Salido vs Aristides Perez
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Official video:
(Alternative free embeddable video hosted on Youtube)
tango2042 
Olivier Veillette 
Arjay Cee 
Mattsnow 
FOTY, again? Vargas-Miura was my pick for last year’s and this one gets the grade so far for me also. Very spectacular, fast, intense, violent!… Also a very tough one to score. I had Salido winning by one round.
WOW What a fight!!! with an incredible display of activity until the very end. One of the best candidates up to now for best fight of the year. It was really close but Vargas should be the winner because he displayed better techniques and punched with more accuracy. The chin of Salido is formidable. I cannot believe how he was able to resist without blinking the big amount of excellent uppercuts connected by Vargas.
I agree it was an absolute great fight just as I thought it would, but I leaned toward Salido 115-113. I think he was more the aggressor (slightly). But it was so close, I won’t argue with a draw :)
Matt: I have no problems with the draw because Salido was fantastic and able to go for 3 more rounds. On the other hand I admit it was quite difficult to judge.
Agreed! I hope we have a rematch :)
Matt: I really hope too since this one was a breathtaking one :-)
FOTY so far for sure.
Salido fighting the only way he knows how, going forward like a bull! What a fight, very hard to judge, I agree with the draw. Let’s see it again :D
114-114 for me too.
Salido knicked it by 2-3 rounds definitely outworked Vargas in remaining championship rounds.. Vargas needs to work on his endurance, well at least fight delivered as advertised.
What a tear up!
I had Vargas edging it with the better variation of shots but Salido deserves any success that comes his way.