On May 10, 2026, Julian Rodriguez defeated James Perella by unanimous decision in a 10-round welterweight bout at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Rodriguez controlled the fight with his pressure, counters, and cleaner combinations, scoring a knockdown and consistently outworking Perella over the distance to secure a wide points victory on the scorecards (100–89, 98–91, 98–91).