Ahead of his incoming UFC 290 title headliner this weekend, interim featherweight champion, Yair Rodríguez has shown off a custom-made UFC championship belt donned by himself – sporting an eye-catching Mexican-theme.
Rodríguez, the current interim featherweight champion, is slated to headline UFC 290 this weekend during International Fight Week, taking on featherweight kingpin, Alexander Volkanovski in the pair’s title unification bout at the T-Mobile Arena.
Initially winning interim spoils back in February of this year in Perth, Australia – Yair Rodríguez turned in an impressive second round win over Josh Emmett – submitting the Arizona veteran with a triangle choke submission win.
Yair Rodríguez received his custom title belt from his management
Set to draw New South Wales favorite, Volkanovski in a title unification bout this weekend in ‘Sin City’, Yair Rodríguez displayed a new custom-belt made for him by artist duo, Jacobo and Maria Ángeles – and gifted to him by his management agency. (H/T MMA Fighting)
Furthermore, UFC president, Dana White revealed that Mexican champions, Rodríguez, as well as flyweight gold holder, Brandon Moreno – who co-headlines UFC 290 this weekend, and flyweight queen, Alexa Grasso, are also slated to receive their own one-of-a-kind custom-made UFC championship belts.
“So, there’s a guy down in Mexico that does this (custom design) and wants to do (UFC) belts,” Dana White told Complex during a recent interview ahead of UFC 290. “I have three Mexican world champions right now. What they want to do is, they want to customize the belts – take out belts and paint them… the Mexican flag and all… he has all these cool concepts for the belts. And I’m actually going to do it. So these fighters would have a one-of-one custom Mexican championship belt.”
Prior to his interim title win over Emmett earlier this year ‘Down Under’, Rodríguez defeated common-foe and former title challenger, Brian Ortega in a first round TKO victory in the main event of UFC Fight Night Long Island last year.