The 21-year-old Vargas (17-0, 14 KOs) aced another test Saturday by stopping Agustin Quintana, fighting past the sixth round for the second time in his career to score a ninth-round stoppage.

Quintana was complicated and durable, but the studious Vargas, The Ring’s 2025 Prospect of the Year, proved he was in a class of his own despite grading his performance as a C.

“I'm here. I want to learn,” Vargas said during his post-fight press conference at the Desert Diamond Arena in Arizona.

“That's what came in this fight, that learning experience. I just wanted to go back to the gym and keep on learning. My respects to Quintana. He’s an amazing fighter and a great opponent. He was slick, crafty and awkward. He beat another great prospect in Marc Castro, but he couldn't do that to me. I broke his spirit round by round, and by the ninth, and you could tell. I did what was necessary to get the job done.”

The son of former two-time junior middleweight champion Fernando Vargas took advice from his father in the corner and unleashed a dedicated attack to the body that paid dividends as the duel went on. But it was a trio of cuts across Quintana’s face that ultimately forced the fight to be over.

Vargas outlanded Quintana 193 to 123 in the fight, according to CompuBox, and arguably lost a couple of middle rounds.

“I went the full 10 rounds in my last fight and learned a lot,” said Vargas. “I picked up more defense, and from this fight I am definitely going to grow, too, for sure. I want to fight the top guys and pick up the experience.

“I had to pull something different out of me, and that's part of growing. I'm only 21. The champions are much older. I want to step up the competition, no doubt. I know all of this prepares me for the world title.”

Vargas promoter Carl Moretti, Top Rank’s vice president of boxing operations, said crushing gritty contenders like Quintana is a critical part of the developmental process.

“It's a marathon and not a sprint, and he passes the learning curve every time,” said Moretti. “The first thing I told him in the ring was that in a year from now, you will realize how much better of a fighter you are because of what he had to go through tonight.”

Moretti said they plan on having Vargas fight three more times this year.

While Vargas vows to be a violent valedictorian, his father and coach added a different kind of title as chalkboard material.

“Emiliano is the next face of boxing, and that's real spit,” said Fernando. “Emiliano needs these types of fights to grow as a fighter. He's a perfectionist. He's only going to go up from here.”