Yair
Rodriguez can hold an audience spellbound when he fires on all
cylinders. Now, he stands on the doorstep of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight boss.
“El Pantera” will set aside his interim title and challenge
Alexander Volkanovski for the undisputed 145-pound crown when
their unification bout headlines
UFC 290 on July 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Rodriguez
enters the cage on the strength of back-to-back victories, having
compiled a 10-2 record inside the Octagon. The Valle Flow Striking
export has shown a well-documented flair for the dramatic, with
nine of his 15 professional wins having resulted in finishes.
As Rodriguez moves toward his showdown with Volkanovski, a look at
five of the many moments that have come to define him:
1. El Ultimo Hombre
Well-timed takedowns and superior jiu-jitsu spurred Rodriguez to a
unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Leandro Morales in
“The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” featherweight final as part
of UFC 180 undercard on Nov. 15, 2014 at Mexico City Arena. All
three judges scored it 29-28. Morales enjoyed some success on the
feet, particularly with his kicks, but did not have enough to
overcome his deficiencies on the ground. Rodriguez executed
takedowns in each of the first two frames, achieving full mount
once and threatening with various submissions, from armbars to heel
hooks, on the mat. The two featherweights fought to a virtual
stalemate on the feet over the final five minutes, with Morales
walking away empty-handed.
2. No Answers
Frankie
Edgar gave Rodriguez the big brother treatment, as he was
awarded a technical knockout against “The Ultimate Fighter Latin
America” winner in their UFC 211 featherweight showcase on May 13,
2017 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The end came in
between the second and third rounds. Edgar did not fool around. The
Toms River, New Jersey, native executed a takedown inside the first
90 seconds and pounded on the prospect with punches, forearm
strikes and elbows for more than three minutes. When the first five
minutes was up, Rodriguez rose to his feet and the damage became
apparent for all to see. His left eye was nearly swollen shut.
Edgar struck for another takedown early in Round 2, dodged an
attempted kneebar, achieved full mount and then settled in top
position. Rodriguez absorbed more punishment courtesy of targeted
elbows and punches. After the round concluded, the cageside
physician examined the 24-year-old and recommended the fight be
stopped.
3. An Optical Illusion
It had to be seen to be believed. Rodriguez was responsible for one
of the most incredible finishes in Ultimate Fighting Championship
history when he knocked out
Chan Sung
Jung with a no-look upward elbow in the fifth round of their
UFC Fight Night 139 headliner on Nov. 10, 2018 at the Pepsi Center
in Denver. “The Korean Zombie” kissed the canvas in the final
second of the fight. The official time was 4:59 of Round 5. The
Rodriguez lightning bolt tied a bow on a contender for “Fight of
the Year,” the two featherweights having emptied themselves across
25 remarkable minutes. They combined to land 245 significant
strikes against one another, with Jung holding a slight 126-119
advantage. Rodriguez zeroed in on the South Korean’s legs with a
variety of kicks and mixed in some of his patented spinning
techniques but could not halt his forward progress—until he caught
the charging Jung with the fight-ending elbow.
4. Short of the Mark
Former undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight
titleholder
Max
Holloway grinded through five amazing rounds with Rodriguez and
exited the Octagon with a unanimous decision in the UFC Fight Night
197 main event on Nov. 13, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Scores were 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47. Rodriguez made his intentions
known after a two-year absence, as he targeted the Hawaiian’s base
with repeated kicks to the lower leg. Holloway managed to walk
through considerable damage, though his leg appeared to swell to
twice its normal size. The Gracie Technics product marched forward
with the multi-punch bursts for which he has become known and
gained more and more ground as the fight progressed. He even mixed
in takedowns and threw in a few submission attempts, including a
standing guillotine that nearly produced a finish. Rodriguez never
stopped throwing and emptied the tank against one of the all-time
greats, firing everything from backfists and cartwheel kicks to
upward elbows in his direction. Clearly behind on the scorecards,
he made every attempt to put away Holloway down the stretch but
failed to dial up the combination he needed.
5. Golden Ticket
Rodriguez dispatched
Josh Emmett
with a triangle choke and captured the interim featherweight
championship in the second round of their UFC 284 co-headliner on
Feb. 11, 2023 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Emmett, who had
never before been submitted, bowed out 4:19 into Round 2. Rodriguez
unleashed a blistering attack on the
Team Alpha Male rep’s body with a variety of kicks from every
imaginable angle. However, Emmett did not go away quietly. He
rocked Rodriguez with a right hook in the first round, powered into
top position and leaned into his ground-and-pound. It was a
harrowing exchange for “El Pantera,” but he managed to endure.
Rodriguez continued to zero in on the body in the second round, and
though he conceded a takedown after landing a flying knee, he had
his reeling adversary right where he wanted him. Emmett soon
wandered in the triangle and tapped once the choke was fully
cinched.