The UFC featherweight champions since he added the division in 2010 are probably the best of any class in the UFC.
Jose Aldo is already in the UFC Hall of Fame and Conor McGregor, Max Holloway and Alex Volkanovski will no doubt join him at the end of their careers.
There are no mediocre champions in this group, and given how full of talent the division remains, there’s little chance of that happening anytime soon.
Almost 10 years after joining the UFC, Yair Rodriguez has the opportunity to add his name to this list of legends. He holds the interim featherweight title after an impressive submission from Josh Emmett in Australia in February, and on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will face champion Volkanovski in a unification bout in the UFC main event. 290.
It’s been a long journey with a lot of potholes along the way, but Rodriguez has come so far as he waits to fight a longtime defending champion who some consider the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. , he overflows with confidence.
Asked about the challenges Volkanovski presents, Rodriguez doesn’t mince words. Many in his situation lather the champion up with praise, and while Rodriguez clearly respects Volkanovski – “How can you not given what he’s already achieved?” Rodriguez asked rhetorically — he’s not about to sugarcoat things either.
“I think he has holes in his game,” Rodriguez said. “I watched his fights and found a few things he always does. I’m going to capitalize on those things he does.”
Rodriguez believed in his talents from the start and felt that with a chance he would be able to prove to the world what he has always felt. It was a loss, however, that convinced him he was firmly on the right track.
Shortly after losing to Holloway in a Fight of the Night battle in Las Vegas on Nov. 13, 2021, Rodriguez sat in the back of an ambulance waiting to be checked out at a local hospital. Holloway exited Apex and immediately headed for the ambulance, where the back doors were open.
“Yair, fucking animal,” Holloway exclaimed, beaming.
As he walked away to make his own trip to get checked out, Holloway didn’t tell anyone in particular, “The guy is phenomenal.”
That’s high praise from a fighter of Holloway’s stature, who is still considered by many to be the greatest featherweight in MMA history.
Rodriguez said the Holloway fight showed him he was on the right track.
“This fight especially pushed me forward,” Rodriguez said. “The level of competition that Max Holloway brings is incredible. Everything he does is [great]. I could never speak ill of Max. And this fight helped me because it showed me what it takes to win at this [level].”
Eight months after losing to Holloway, Rodriguez has demonstrated what the loss has done for him. He took on Brian Ortega, an elite featherweight whose only losses were, coincidentally, Volkanovski and Holloway, and beat him badly.
Ortega injured his shoulder early in the fight and absorbed a severe punch before the fight was stopped at the end of the first.
This earned him an interim title shot against Emmett, although Rodriguez was not thrilled to get an interim title shot. He fought on the same card in Perth, Australia as Volkanovski, who challenged lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in a bid to become a two-time champion. Rodriguez would have preferred not to take the interim route.
“Honestly, I thought it would have been the best thing to go straight to the champ,” said Rodriguez, who had the best performance of his illustrious career by submitting Emmett in the fourth round. “With all due respect to my opponent, Josh, I always knew I could beat him. That’s why I didn’t want to take this fight and wanted to go straight to fight the current champion.
“But the UFC offered it to me and that’s what I had to do to get the fight I really wanted, so I took the fight with Josh Emmett. But I always knew I could beat him. and I just did what I trained to do.”
Rodriguez said his visibility — and salary — increased after winning the interim belt. UFC President Dana White often denounces what he calls “junkies,” junkies who attach themselves to a fighter after he’s been successful.
Rodriguez laughed when asked if his newfound fame as interim champion would impact him.
“I’m really basic, you know? he said. “I’m basic, basic, basic. I don’t spend a lot of money. I like to invest it in real estate and things like that. When an opportunity comes along, I like to take advantage of it and invest because I I know I won’t be able to do this for the rest of my life To me, I like money to take care of my family.
“But I’m not a crazy spender and party. I don’t like to do that. What I like to do is train and fight and compete. That’s what got me motivated at the beginning and that’s what still motivates me now.”