Yair Rodriguez is your interim UFC featherweight champion!
Nine years after making his promotional debut and after years of being forecasted to wear championship gold, “El Pantera” put together his most impressive performance to date in the biggest moment of his career.
The 30-year-old Mexican standout took the fight to Josh Emmett in the opening stanza, battering the Team Alpha Male representative with punishing body kicks and clean, varied strikes. While Emmett dropped Rodriguez with a power shot towards the end of the first, Rodriguez defended well and worked back to his feet.
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He hurt Emmett early in the second, picking his spots and bashing home powerful blows before connecting with a flying knee that sent Vaseline flying off Emmett’s head. Though the American contender used it to put Rodriguez on the canvas, the dynamic athlete from Chihuahua used it to set up and lock up a triangle choke, forcing Emmett to tap.
This was an incredible performance from Rodriguez — a stylish, punishing, impressive effort from a fighter that was long expected to be in this position. It’s an outstanding victory, and now Rodriguez will wait to see what transpires in the main event in order to see what comes next.
2 – Jon Jones Submits Ciryl Gane
UFC 285: Jones vs Gane
