MIAMI – If all goes well, Yair Rodriguez can see himself challenging for the UFC featherweight title in a few months.
Rodriguez (19-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who returns to the cage this Saturday on the main card of UFC 314 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Kaseya Center, has visualized his path to the featherweight title: first, defeating former Bellator champion Patricio Freire (36-7 MMA, 0-0 UFC), and then hope Diego Lopes beats Alexander Volkanovski for the vacant belt in the main event of the card.
Should those two things happen, Rodriguez can see the UFC pairing him against Lopes at Noche UFC in Guadalajara on Sept. 13.
“My visualization goes towards that,” Rodriguez said at Wednesday’s UFC 314 media day. “I’m obviously not overlooking this fight with ‘Pitbull,’ but you have to be prepared for whatever, and you have to visualize what you want to happen and create it, so that’s what I’ve been doing.
“I was actually texting Brandon Moreno. Right after his fight, I told him, ‘Congratulations, you looked awesome. I’m so proud of you, you’ve evolved a lot.’ He was like, ‘Thank you so much, and I can’t wait to make this happen in Guadalajara.’ And I told him, ‘Let’s make it two. Let’s make it two championships in Guadalajara. It will be a historical event.’ That’s what I’m looking for.”
Lopes vs. Rodriguez in a UFC title fight would be a massive fight for Mexico and Latin America. Rodriguez is a pioneer for Mexican MMA, and one of the early stars of the country, having won the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America in 2014.
On the other hand, Lopes, Brazil-born, has also become a star in Mexico, as he lives in trains in Mexico, his association with Alexa Grasso’s Lobo Gym in Guadalajara, and of course his meteoric rise in the UFC.
Rodriguez dislikes and doesn’t agree with Lopes representing Mexico.
“Yes, I have a problem with that, not with Diego,” Rodriguez said. “He’s just doing his job with what he’s doing right now, but my problem is, what’s up with people? I understand he’s great, he’s exciting, and you know he’s doing his job, but I just don’t agree with it. I will never be that way and don’t want to be that way. If he’s doing it, good for him. If people want to see him as Mexican, I don’t have a problem with that.
“I’ve been killing myself for years for my country. If they decide to go with him the moment with have to fight or face each other, that’s on them. I’ve been doing all the things to represent my country. I have bled for my country, I have cried for my country, I’ve hugged the flag. I can’t be more proud of being Mexican.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.
