After two years away from the cage, [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] turned in one of his best performances to date, despite ending up on the wrong end of the judges’ scorecards.
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 197, Rodriguez (13-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) took on former featherweight champion Max Holloway in what promised to be an exciting bout between two fearless strikers. When it was all said and done, Holloway (23-6 MMA, 19-6 UFC) earned a unanimous decision win, but Rodriguez’s effort left a lasting impression.
Sporting a severely swollen right foot after the conclusion of the fight, Rodriguez was supported by his coaches as Michael Bisping asked his thoughts about the Fight of the Night battle that just unfolded.
“I came really prepared for this fight and Max is just an amazing fighter,” Rodriguez said during the post-fight interview. “He has a lot of experience and did an amazing job. He was better than me tonight and I don’t have nothing else but to accept that.”
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Rodriguez earned his second straight Fight of the Night bonus on Saturday, which marked his eighth overall bonus during his exciting UFC career. He earned an extra paycheck in his two previous outings, a unanimous decision over Jeremy Stephens and his spectacular last-second knockout of Chan Sung Jung.
While the next steps for Rodriguez are unclear at the moment, he will walk out of the UFC Apex without his stock falling much, thanks to his incredible effort against a high-volume former champion.
“I’ll move forward from this as soon as possible,” Rodriguez said. I want to get back home and be with my family and my friends, and enjoy this time with them. Nothing but love and respect for Hawaiian people and obviously for Max.”
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