Lightweight Gabriel Flores, Jr. was not about to lose before a hometown crowd.

Flores came on late to win a hard-fought split decision against Julian Rodarte this past Saturday night before an almost sold-out crowd at the Adventist Health (also known as Stockton) Arena in Stockton, California. One judge scored the bout 96-94 for Rodarte, while the other two judges scored the bout 98-92 for Flores, who improved to 23-2, 8 knockouts.

“I don’t know about that 96-94 scorecard,” Gabriel Flores, Sr., father and trainer of Flores, Jr., told The Ring Sunday night. “I give the kid (Rodarte) two rounds. He was busy, but Junior landed the more telling punches.

The 23-year-old was the more effective fighter from the opening bell, working behind a consistent jab and following up with a straight right hand or two-punch combination to the head and body.

Flores momentarily stunned Rodarte during the fourth round, as his legs buckled from the impact of the punch from Flores. Rodarte was able to recover and fight back, engaging with Flores in the center of the ring.

Rodarte did switch stances from orthodox to southpaw, and then back to orthodox in an attempt to throw off Flores. Rodarte did his best work during this stage of the fight, connecting with hooks and crosses to the head of Flores.

Flores momentarily hurt Rodarte again, this time in round eight. Rodarte was able to get through the barrage of punches, and although Rodarte was game, Flores was the more effective and less-tired fighter during the second half of the fight.

With the win over Rodarte, Flores runs his record to 3-0 in his hometown of Stockton. In his previous fight on May 13, which also took place at the Adventist Arena, Flores scored a first-round knockout win over Derrick Murray. The fight was waved off at 27 seconds.

Gabriel Flores Jr. (right) hits Julian Rodarte (left) - Photo by Julio Sanchez

Flores’ other win in Stockton took place in May 2019, which was a third round knockout over Eduardo Pereira Dos Reis. The knockout victories over Murray and Pereira Dos Reis took place on Top Rank cards and aired live on an ESPN platform before sold-out crowds, highlighting Flores’ popularity in the upper region of California’s Central Valley.

Rodarte, who resides in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey, falls to 19-1-2, 8 KOs. He previously fought on August 25, fighting to a unanimous decision draw against journeyman Juan Santiago.

Prior to the Flores fight, in a pro career that began in April 2015, the 28-year-old Rodarte had only fought four fighters with winning records.

The Flores-Rodarte fight headlined a G Squad Entertainment card. The promotional company is run by Gabriel Flores, Sr. and Jr.

In the undercard, junior middleweight Fernando Vargas, Jr. scored a fourth-round knockout win over former contender Brad Solomon (29-7, 9 KOs) of Douglasville, Georgia.

Vargas, who resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, improved to 14-0, 13 KOs. The 27-year-old is the oldest son of former two-time world titleholder Fernando Vargas.

Former multi-division world titleholder Nonito Donaire and color commentator Rich Marotta will call the action from ringside for FightHubTV.