The record says Yafai remains unbeaten at 9-0 (7 KOs). The footage from that night tells a different story, and that is what fans have focused on since the announcement. Reaction across social media has been largely negative, with many questioning how a fighter coming off that type of performance moves directly into a unified title opportunity.
Yafai’s Olympic pedigree got him to the front of the line, but the Rodriguez fight showed he could be out-hustled by a physical, high-volume pressure fighter. If he wins, the Rodriguez disaster becomes a footnote.
Even though the record book was scrubbed clean after Francisco Rodriguez Jr. tested positive for Heptaminol, the lasting impression remains tough. Yafai was dropped, cut, and spent two weeks recovering after what many called a beatdown. While the WBC reinstated him as interim champ because of the NC, the court of public opinion isn’t as quick to hit the reset button.
Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs), 27, enters as the proven side of the matchup. He unified the WBA and WBC titles in July 2025 with a split decision win over Kenshiro Teraji in Yokohama, recovering from a knockdown to take control late. That result established him as one of the division’s most reliable operators, with a deeper professional record and experience over 12 rounds against elite opposition. Yafai’s position is built on a different foundation.
The June 6 fight places those two paths side by side. Sandoval arrives as a unified champion with recent form against a top name. Yafai arrives with momentum on paper and uncertainty attached to his last appearance. The timing of the opportunity has become part of the story, and it will follow him into Sheffield.
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