Yair Rodriguez’s battle week had no scarcity of opposition.
Formally, he was booked to battle Patricio Pitbull at UFC 314 on Saturday. After defeating Pitbull, he referred to as for a shot on the featherweight title, which was later claimed by Alexander Volkanovski on the finish of the night. After which there’s Diego Lopes.
Rodriguez and Lopes each at the moment prepare out of Mexico and the 2 have a deep animosity for one another that bubbled to the floor throughout this previous Thursday’s pre-fight press convention in Miami. The fighters exchanged phrases and needed to be separated by safety.
At Saturday’s post-fight press convention, Rodriguez was requested if his private beef with Lopes takes precedence over combating Volkanovski a second time.
“Within the eyes of the followers, in fact, however when you ask me, when you’re in my place proper now, the meat can keep apart for now,” Rodriguez stated. “The one factor that I’m searching for proper now’s combating for that belt.
“What occurred? I believe when the second comes we’ll discuss extra about it, however for now, I simply wish to deal with the title battle, which is combating towards the present champ Alexander Volkanovski in a rematch and I wish to do this in Guadalajara.”
Rodriguez snapped a two-fight shedding streak with a formidable determination over Pitbull, who made his debut after a 15-year run competing for Bellator that included three reigns as that promotion’s featherweight champion. “El Pantera” feels his efficiency mixed together with his opponent’s credentials needs to be sufficient to earn him a rematch with Volkanovski.
Volkanovski defeated Rodriguez—then interim champion—in a title unification bout at UFC 290 in July 2023. That’s a loss Rodriguez badly needs to avenge, although he assured followers that his feud with Lopes is not going to go unresolved.
“I believe it has to occur sooner or later,” Volkanovski stated. “I truly talked to my pal Marco Beltran and I advised him, ‘I received you, bro. I’ve received this one for you. I’ll be certain sooner or later every time I’ve the prospect to battle him, I’ll be certain I received it for you.’ I didn’t wish to do—as you’ve seen, [Lopes and I] had been capable of take photos collectively, I used to be capable of play it cool for so long as I might preserve it cool, however the man was making an attempt to be disrespectful within the press convention. Making an attempt to love, ‘Oh, what number of losses does he have,’ sort of like attacking me like that.
“I used to be like, ‘You recognize what? That’s it.’ I’m not capable of f*cking take it anymore.”
Whereas Rodriguez declined to elaborate on the precise points between him and Lopes, it has to do with not simply them, however their groups. Lopes defeated Rodriguez’s teammate Marco Beltran at a LUX Combat League occasion in November 2019 and apparently the dangerous blood has solely worsened from there.
Complicating Rodriguez’s state of affairs is the truth that Volkanovski is already one up on him and the matchmakers could resolve to go in a special course. However Rodriguez is assured he’ll be booked for a outstanding spot on the upcoming UFC 320 occasion in Guadalajara, Mexico, and it is sensible to him that he battle for the title as soon as extra.
“Volkanovski has fought all around the globe,” Rodriguez stated. “He hasn’t fought in Mexico. Guadalajara isn’t tremendous excessive elevation, I believe it is sensible for the UFC to deliver an enormous numbered occasion in Guadalajara and I believe Volkanovski will be capable to run it again from me, I believe he’ll be comfortable to try this.”