The UFC has finalized a sensational headliner in their featherweight division. Dana White broke the news tonight to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that the promotion had finalized a main event between Max Holloway (22-6) and Yair Rodriguez (13-2, 1 NC).
The matchup will headline a UFC Fight Night on July 17th. This is by far the biggest opportunity in the career of Yair Rodriguez. Rodriguez has had a ton of hype surrounding him since he joined the UFC a few years ago.
His flashy style and highlight reel knockouts made him an instant fan favorite. However, he was rushed to the top quickly and Frankie Edgar completely dominated him at UFC 211. That loss alone forced Rodriguez to stay away for over a year.
Once he made his UFC return, Rodriguez knocked out Chan Sung Jung in the final seconds of their fight. A year after that matchup, he defeated Jeremy Stephens by unanimous decision.
The problem for Rodriguez has been his activity level. Since the Frankie Edgar loss at UFC 211, Rodriguez has only fought three times. Due to a suspension and injuries, this fight against Holloway will be his first since October of 2019.
The former UFC champion returns
Back in January, Max Holloway fought in his first non-title UFC fight for the first time since 2016. The former champion was coming off back-to-back losses to Alexander Volkanovski and he was looking to make a statement.
Standing in his way was Calvin Kattar. Kattar played the part of sacrificial lamb as Max Holloway put on a performance like we’ve never seen before. Holloway set virtually every UFC striking record as he battered Kattar for five rounds.
The Max Holloway we saw in January looked like the best featherweight in the world. After that performance, it looked like Holloway would get his title shot in the summer.
However, Alexander Volkanovski got COVID and his UFC title fight with Brian Ortega was pushed back. So, Holloway was left with either waiting things out or taking another fight. When the UFC offered him this main event, he jumped at the chance. If you’re a fight fan, you should be pumped for this one.