ET.ĮSPN Illustration Numbers matchup: -625 vs. Rodriguez Saturday on ESPN+, beginning at 1 p.m. He might not necessarily be next in line for Volkanovski, but he surely would have a spot near the front of the queue. Getting back to a title shot while Volkanovski still owns the belt might be a challenge, but Holloway cannot afford to slip up this weekend if he hopes for big things in his near future.Īs for Rodriguez, if he can hang with Holloway, he will open some eyes and some doors. As strong as he looked in the Kattar fight, it ended a two-fight losing streak - the 2019 bout in which he dropped the featherweight title to Alexander Volkanovski, then a rematch that many observers believe Holloway won. The stakes for Holloway are perhaps less definitive but no less dramatic. Among other things, that was the night when Holloway passed Georges St-Pierre for most strikes landed in UFC history by running his total to 2,805 (St-Pierre landed 2,591). In a unanimous decision over Calvin Kattar in January, Holloway shattered several UFC records, landing 445 significant strikes (old record: 290), attempting 744 (old record: 515) and more. He can make all of that fade into the past if he can handle Holloway (22-6), who is coming off a virtuosic performance in his last appearance. He did not fail a drug test, but failed to keep USADA apprised of his whereabouts for testing purposes. Rodriguez is unbeaten in three outings since the Edgar loss, but he has not competed since October 2019 thanks to a US Anti-Doping Agency suspension. That defeat came in 2017 against former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar, just a few months after Rodriguez had knocked out another legendary ex-champ, BJ Penn. Rodriguez (13-2, 1 NC) has lost only once in nearly nine years.
MAX HOLLOWAY SERIES
Subscribe to ESPN+ to get exclusive live UFC events, weigh-ins and more Dana White's Contender Series and more exclusive MMA content. Defeating him would elevate Rodriguez into the title picture.įormer UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway looks to continue his fight back towards the top of the division against the surging Yair Rodriguez. 10 in the ESPN men's pound-for-pound rankings. Holloway is a former 145-pound champion and is No. On Saturday, Rodriguez has an opportunity to further enhance the perception of him within the upper echelon of the UFC men's featherweight division.įacing Max Holloway in the main event of a matinee UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas, Rodriguez can instantly transform himself from must-see attraction to championship contender. The KO came at 4:59 of Round 5 via a no-look, upward-trajectory elbow that collapsed "The Korean Zombie" in his tracks.
Yair Rodriguez is a walking highlight reel, best known for his stunning last-second knockout of Chan Sung Jung in a 2018 bout that the Mexican was on the verge of losing by decision.
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