Yair Rodriguez had a week full of challenges and callouts leading up to his recent fight.
His official bout was against Patricio Pitbull at UFC 314 on Saturday. After securing a victory over Pitbull, Rodriguez expressed his desire for a shot at the featherweight title, which Alexander Volkanovski currently holds. Adding to the mix is Diego Lopes.
Rodriguez and Lopes, both training in Mexico, have a significant personal conflict that became very apparent during a press conference in Miami last Thursday. The two fighters exchanged heated words and needed security to keep them apart.
At the post-fight press conference on Saturday, Rodriguez was questioned whether his rivalry with Lopes takes precedence over a rematch with Volkanovski for the title.
“From a fan perspective, maybe, but speaking for myself and my career right now, the personal issues can wait,” Rodriguez stated. “My sole focus is getting another chance to fight for that championship belt.”
“What exactly happened with Lopes? We can discuss that more in detail later. Right now, my priority is the title fight against Alexander Volkanovski in a rematch, and I would love for it to happen in Guadalajara,” he added.
Rodriguez broke a two-fight losing streak with a victory by decision over Pitbull. Pitbull, a former Bellator featherweight champion with a 15-year tenure at that promotion, was making his UFC debut. Rodriguez believes his win, combined with Pitbull`s reputation, should warrant a title rematch against Volkanovski.
Volkanovski previously defeated Rodriguez in a title unification fight at UFC 290 in July 2023, taking Rodriguez`s interim title. Rodriguez is eager to avenge that loss, but he assured fans that his issues with Lopes will be addressed.
“I think a fight with Lopes has to happen eventually,” Rodriguez admitted. “I even spoke with my friend Marco Beltran and told him, ‘I’ve got you. I’ll handle this for you. When I get the chance to fight him, I’ll take care of it.’ I tried to remain calm and collected, even taking pictures with Lopes, but he became disrespectful at the press conference. He was making comments like, ‘Oh, how many losses does he have?’ trying to attack me personally.”
“At that point, I thought, ‘Enough is enough.’ I couldn`t tolerate it anymore.”
Rodriguez didn`t go into detail about the exact nature of the issues with Lopes, but it involves not only them but also their respective teams. Lopes defeated Rodriguez’s teammate, Marco Beltran, at a LUX Fight League event in November 2019, and the animosity has apparently grown since then.
Adding complexity to Rodriguez’s situation is Volkanovski already holding a win over him, which might lead matchmakers to consider other options. However, Rodriguez is optimistic about securing a prominent fight at the upcoming UFC 320 event in Guadalajara, Mexico, and believes a title shot makes the most sense.
“Volkanovski has fought all over the world,” Rodriguez pointed out. “He hasn’t fought in Mexico yet. Guadalajara’s elevation isn`t extreme, and I think it would be great for the UFC to host a major numbered event there. I believe Volkanovski would be willing to have a rematch with me, and I think he’d be happy to do it in Mexico.”
