Over the last month, Vargas went from being Fernando’s kid to the kid from the Super Bowl after he made an appearance during Bad Bunny’s halftime show. The cameo came 10 days after Vargas was named The Ring’s 2025 Prospect of the Year.

The 21-year-old Vargas is a second-generation junior welterweight contender who’s been labeled as a phenom ever since making his pro debut in 2022. And now, Vargas is on the cusp of achieving world title aspirations just like his father.

The next stop for Vargas (16-0, 13 KOs) en route to the master plan arrives when he takes on Agustin Quintana (22-2-1, 13 KOs) at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, this weekend. The 10-round fight will serve as the co-main event for the 130-pound title unification bout between Emanuel Navarrete and Eduardo Nunez on DAZN.

“You have to learn how to juggle responsibilities if you want to elevate, and now we’re here,” Vargas told The Ring. “I know that Quintana doesn’t care about anything I’ve been doing, and he only wants to take my health away, and I want to do the same. That’s the epitome of the sport, and I have to take care of business on Saturday night.”

Vargas said he stayed grounded during the monumental feats by running 10 miles the day he won Prospect of the Year honors and sparred 12 rounds with three different guys on the day of the Super Bowl.

Vargas recalled being stunned when his lawyer, Charles Lew, called him with the opportunity to shadowbox with Xander Zayas during Bad Bunny’s performance.

“I was in the hyperbaric chamber and was like, ‘Am I hearing you right?’” said Vargas. “I signed the contract, and they moved my training camp over there. Bad Bunny and his team were so humble and attentive that everything was taken care of, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity. I did not have that on my bingo card for 2026.”

People are noticing all of Vargas’ positive motion as well. Vargas posted a screenshot of his Instagram analytics dashboard showing that he had nearly 48 million views on his page over the last month.

With the highs came lows, too. Vargas had to deal with a distraction out of his control when footage showed his brothers, Fernando Jr. and Amado, fighting each other at a Las Vegas casino floor last month.

“All brothers fight, but I don’t condone it,” said Vargas. “They hugged it out the next day, but it sucks that it was in public. I am happy that they are over it, and they are going to be at my fight on Saturday.”

Family is vital for Vargas, who is trained by his father, Fernando, the two-time junior middleweight champion who battled the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosley, Winky Wright and Ricardo Mayorga during his heyday.

“God is the greatest, and I am blessed to be here,” said Vargas. “I stand on the shoulders of my father and my mother, who've worked insanely hard so we can be here. I can't wait to continue to win. I am in the pursuit of greatness, and I know I am going to be great, and I carry that with me into every fight and every training camp. Along that pursuit of greatness, there are milestones, and the Prospect of the Year award is definitely a milestone.”

Promoter Top Rank has been keen on keeping Vargas active as they continue to navigate uncertain waters without a broadcast deal; Vargas finished 2025 with four wins.

Vargas said he wants to satisfy his fast-growing fan base by fighting three more times this year against former world titleholders, credible contenders, and eventually, one of the champions.

But first, Vargas has to get past Quintana, who’s already proven to be a prospect buster by beating Marc Castro nearly 15 months ago.

“I can smell the flowers better now, and it only motivates me,” said Vargas. “We give our blood, sweat, and tears to the sport, and I am happy to be recognized.

“Some people can win, and others can perform. I think that's the difference between a good fighter and a great fighter. I definitely want to be a great fighter and be remembered. I am going to make another statement on Saturday.

“I’m super excited to stay active and become a world champion by the end of the year.”