On the main card of UFC 314, we saw the promotional debut of a former world champion. Patricio Pitbull (36-8) made his highly anticipated octagon debut as he took on former interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez (20-5).
There was a lot of hype surrounding the debut of Patricio Pitbull, but Yair Rodriguez was looking to play the ultimate spoiler. When the first round started, both men were very tentative just feeling things out. That said, Rodriguez’s speed was really bothering Pitbull and the kicks were coming fast and furious.
In the second round, they started opening up a bit more but Rodriguez was just a step ahead of Pitbull. Rodriguez was doing an excellent job of fighting from distance and using his speed to keep Pitbull off-balanced. In the third round, Pitbull fought with more urgency but he was dropped by Rodriguez. When the decision was read, it was a sweep at UFC 314 for Yair Rodriguez.
What’s next after UFC 314?
This was a huge win for Rodriguez on a huge stage. Patricio Pitbull had all the hype behind him and Yair Rodriguez just shut him down completely making it seem that Pitbull wasn’t even on his level. After the win, Rodriguez said that he wanted a UFC title shot.
That said, I don’t think it makes a lot of sense. Don’t get me wrong, this was a very big win for Rodriguez. However, entering Saturday night, he had been finished twice in a row including by the current champion Alexander Volkanovski. I think he needs one more win before getting a title shot.
In terms of his next opponent, I love the idea of him facing Diego Lopes. There is some beef there between the two men and Lopes fought Volkanovski tough on Saturday night in the title fight. Lopes also dominated Brian Ortega who just submitted Yair Rodriguez. If Rodriguez wants a title shot, I think he should face Lopes to get it.