Ahead of his incoming featherweight title unification clash with fellow gold holder, Alexander Volkanovski, interim division gold holder, Yair Rodríguez has been heralded as one of the “wildest” fighters and most dynamic strikers in the Octagon has ever hosted, by long-time color-commentating staple, Joe Rogan.
Rodríguez, the current interim featherweight champion, is slated to take main event honors at UFC 290 next month during International Fight Week, taking on fellow division champion, Volkanovski in a main event title unifcation clash at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Securing interim divisional gold at UFC 284 back in February, featherweight staple, Rodríguez turned in a dominant win over incoming UFC Fight Night Jacksonville headliner, Josh Emmett, submitting the veteran knockout artist with a second round triangle choke – displaying his often overlooked grappling ability.
The victory came as Rodriguez’s second on the bounce in the last year, following a TKO win over former title challenger, Brian Ortega in the main event of UFC Fight Night Long Island – forcing a stoppage in the opening round after the common-foe suffered a dislocated shoulder as Rodriguez attempted a submission from his back.
Joe Rogan heaps praise on interim featherweight champion, Yair Rodríguez
And ahead of his title unification clash with New South Wales technician, Volkanovski, Rodríguez has been showered with praise by the aforenoted, Rogan – who is slated to return to the commentary booth to call the night’s action at UFC 290.
“Have you seen Yair Rodríguez fight?” Joe Rogan asked his guest during a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. “Yair Rodríguez is one of the wildest motherf*ckers that’s ever fougt in MMA. Yair has some of the craziest kciks. He’s got his taekwondo background but he does all this wild sh*t. He hit B.J. Penn with a 360 roundhouse kick. He f*cked B.J. Penn up.”
“Look at this motherf*cker,” Rogan continued. “He kicked him with the righht, and then in the air hits him with the left. He’s a beast. He’s so dynamic, his striking and on the ground. He finished Josh Emmett with a triangle in his last fight. On the ground he’s nasty. He’s f*cking wicked. He’s wicked, and he’s really hard to figure out because everything he does is different – f*cking genius.”