Tag: Yair Rodriguez

Yair Rodriguez sees Ilia Topuria losing featherweight title at UFC 308: ‘Max Holloway has more tools’

Yair Rodriguez gives his prediction for the UFC 308 main event between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] has the MMA world split as to who will leave UFC 308 as champion.

Former interim UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] gave his thoughts and prediction on the highly anticipated championship bout Saturday night at Etihad Arena. Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who’s fought Holloway in the past, believes the Hawaiian will reclaim his belt and take the undefeated status from Topuria.

“It’s going to be an interesting match,” Rodriguez told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “I think Max Holloway has more tools, and he’s a super smart fighter. Also, Topuria is a real power puncher. I just think if Max Holloway is smart enough to keep his distance, he can win the fight. My prediction is Max Holloway.”

Earlier this year, Topuria had plenty to say about Rodriguez and vice versa. Topuria questioned Rodriguez’s skillset, and Rodriguez fired back a few verbal shots his way.

“I don’t have a relationship with him at all,” Rodriguez said. “Yeah, some words have been said, and I hope he’s ready to back them up, because I’m ready.”

Rodriguez hasn’t fought since losing to Brian Ortega in February. He says he’s healthy and ready to return and just waiting on the green light from the promotion. There’s nothing official, but Rodriguez said the UFC has shown interest in having him fight in February in Mexico City.

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UFC 306’s Daniel Zellhuber explains how Yair Rodriguez inspired early career

Mexican fighter Daniel Zellhuber recalls how Yair Rodriguez’s UFC journey caught his attention.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Daniel Zellhuber[/autotag] recalls how [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag]’s journey caught his attention.

Zellhuber (15-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) watched Rodriguez win Season 1 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” in 2014, when he represented Team Mexico under coach Cain Velasquez. Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) helped put Mexico on the MMA map and has had a standout career, capturing the interim UFC featherweight title in the process.

“When I kind of got more into MMA was at the time that the first ‘Ultimate Fighter’ (Latin America) was streaming, so one of the first fighters that I ever watched and really became a fan of is Yair,” Zellhuber told MMA Junkie Radio. “And now we’re friends, so it’s funny. I remember watching him on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ really desiring to win and when he won the tournament and his whole UFC career.”

As he looks to pave his own way, Zellhuber moved to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas and built a team around him, which has produced results in the form of three consecutive wins and two bonuses to go along with it.

On Noche UFC, a night when the promotion celebrates Mexican Independence day, Zellhuber takes on Esteban Ribovics (13-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on the UFC 306 main card Sept. 14 at Sphere in Las Vegas.

“Being here (Vegas) training is not enough to be successful,” Zellhuber said. “So that’s when I searched for coach (Jorge) Capetillo, coach Dewey (Cooper), coach Hector (Vasquez). I started getting more and more coaches to really help me develop what I need to be a world champion. I feel right now I’m in a good spot.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.

Unfortunate circumstances: 15 unforeseen injuries that ended UFC main events

Injuries are part of the game in MMA, but there’s nothing worse than one ends a marquee UFC fight.

While the term “freak injury” might not be appropriate to use when discussing a sport that is inherently dangerous, 14 UFC main events have ended in unforeseen injuries – broken legs, separated shoulders, eye pokes, etc. – that don’t typically come in the sequence of MMA combat.

Scroll below to see a chronology of UFC main events that ended in that nature.

Note: Injuries sustained on a TKO due to strikes or tapout due to a submission are not included, nor are retirements on the stool due to extended fight damage or exhaustion. Laceration-based stoppages also are not included since they come as an intentional result of the opposition’s attack.

MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month for February: Middleweight contenders net another bonus

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from February 2024.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from February 2024: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month award for February.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

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Nominees

Yair Rodriguez staying positive following submission loss to Brian Ortega at UFC Fight Night 237

Yair Rodriguez reacts to his submission loss to Brian Ortega at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 237.

[autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] is staying positive despite suffering a loss on home soil.

The former UFC interim featherweight champion posted on Instagram on Sunday to react to his loss to Brian Ortega. Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was submitted by Ortega (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in the third round of their co-main event at UFC Fight Night 237 in Mexico City.

“Things didn’t go our favor yesterday,” Rodriguez wrote on Instagram in Spanish. “I can only thank God that I was able to leave without any serious injuries or wounds. Thank you to all my team for standing by me despite all the ups and downs and all of you guys who always support me win or lose a fight. I leave with that and all the love and support that the Mexican public always gives me every time I fight here. I’m still strong and moving forward. I can’t say much right now, the only thing that’s left, is to accept what’s going to come and keep fighting for a better future. Thank you, Mexico. I love you all.”

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This was the second time Rodriguez and Ortega fought. In July 2022, Rodriguez won by TKO due to an Ortega injury. Rodriguez had been going back and forth with current UFC champion Ilia Topuria in interviews, and many thought a title fight for Rodriguez could’ve been on the table with a win.

Rodriguez is currently on a two-fight skid. Prior to the Ortega rematch, he lost to Alexander Volkanovski in a title unification bout.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

4 biggest takeaways from UFC Fight Night 237: Is Brian Ortega’s rebirth a title threat?

Analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC Fight Night 237, including the paths of Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega.

What mattered most at UFC Fight Night 237 at Mexico City Arena in Mexico? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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UFC Fight Night 237 post-event facts: Yair Rodriguez hits unprecedented career slump

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 237, which saw Yair Rodriguez hit the first losing skid of his career.

The UFC’s final event of February took place Saturday with UFC Fight Night 237 at Mexico City Arena in Mexico.

A flyweight contender re-emerged in the main event, when replacement headliner [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) exacted revenge on former UFC champ [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (21-8-2 MMA, 9-4-2 UFC) with a split decision victory in their rematch from November 2020.

For more on the numbers to come out of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 237.

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UFC Fight Night 237 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Headliners get combined $17,000

UFC Fight Night 237 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

MEXICO CITY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 237 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $135,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 237 took place at Mexico City Arena. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 237 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Daniel Zellhuber[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Fransisco Prado[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Yazmin Jauregui[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Sam Hughes[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Manuel Torres[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Chris Duncan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Cristian Quinonez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jesus Aguilar[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mateus Mendonca[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Edgar Chairez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Daniel Lacerda[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Fares Ziam[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Claudio Puelles[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ronaldo Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Denys Bondar[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Felipe dos Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victor Altamirano[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Muhammad Naimov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Erik Silva[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2371 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,228,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $23,935,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

UFC Fight Night 237 results: Brian Ortega rolls ankle during introduction, rallies to tap Yair Rodriguez anyway

Brian Ortega’s first attempt vs. Yair Rodriguez ended in injury and a loss. The second attempt started with an injury and ended with a win.

[autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag]’s first attempt vs. [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] ended in an injury and a loss. The second attempt started with an injury and ended in victory.

In a rollercoaster 15-minute stretch, Ortega (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) overcame an ankle injury and an onslaught of striking to defeat Rodriguez (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) by arm-triangle choke at the 0:58 mark of Round 3.

Ortega was tagged numerous times in the opening frame by Rodriguez, as the MMA world watched and wondered what went wrong with his leg during Bruce Buffer’s introduction. Ortega appeared to tweak something, and briefly hopped around around on one leg, but later revealed he twisted his ankle.

Impaired or not, Ortega controlled position in Round 2 before the submission came in Round 3. He ended Round 2 in mount and drowned Rodriguez more in Round 3. Ortega locked in the choke, got the tap, and picked up his first win since October 2020.

The release of the submission post-tap was a bit delayed, and got the attention of referee Marc Goddard who gave an apologetic Ortega an earful upon the fight’s conclusion.

Ortega, 33, snaps a two-fight skid that consisted of losses to Alexander Volkanovski and Rodriguez, who defeated him by TKO due to shoulder injury in their first meeting in July 2022.

Rodriguez, 31, is now on a two-fight skid. His previous outing was a TKO loss to Alexander Volkanovski in a July title challenge.

The featherweight bout was the UFC Fight Night 237 co-main event at Mexico City Arena.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 237 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 237.

Social media reacts to Brian Ortega’s comeback finish of Yair Rodriguez in UFC Fight Night 237 rematch

The MMA community reacted to Brian Ortega’s thrilling submission of Yair Rodriguez in their UFC Fight Night 237 rematch.

[autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag] put himself back in the title discussion on Saturday when he avenged his loss to [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] in their UFC Fight Night 237 rematch.

After their first fight in July 2022 ended with Ortega (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) suffering an arm injury in the first round, Rodriguez (15-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) could not repeat the result. Ortega got his hand raised by third-round submission in the featherweight co-headliner, which took place at Mexico City Arena in Mexico City.

Check below for the top X (formerly Twitter) reactions to Ortega’s victory over Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 237.

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