5 biggest winners from UFC Fight Night: Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez

Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez both looked like big winners after producing one of the best fights of 2021

UFC Fight Night: Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez might not have had the same amount of hype that the promotion’s two events did, but it made up for that with some jaw-dropping action.

This UFC Fight Night was undoubtedly one of the best shows of 2021 overall, with some wild finishes, explosive action and an unforgettable war to close out the card.

Unsurprisingly, last night’s show saw numerous fighters move up the ladder in their respective divisions, but who came away with the biggest victory?

These two left it all in the Octagon ❤️

👏 @BlessedMMA & @PanteraUFC earn your FOTN honors.

[ B2YB @ToyoTires | #UFCVegas42 ] https://t.co/1wNwMGX6x5

Here are the five biggest winners from UFC Fight Night: Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez.

#5. Yair Rodriguez – lost to Max Holloway in a UFC featherweight bout

Yair Rodriguez did not look like a loser after his wild bout with Max Holloway

It seems bizarre to label a fighter who lost their bout as one of the biggest winners of a UFC event, but it’d be absolutely ridiculous to call Yair Rodriguez a loser after last night.

‘El Pantera’ hadn’t fought in over two years prior to stepping into the octagon to face Max Holloway. Ranked as the #3 featherweight in the UFC, many fans felt that he didn’t deserve such a lofty spot, and some figured Holloway would expose him.

That wasn’t the case at all. While Holloway came away with his hand raised, it was only the insane toughness of ‘Blessed’ that prevented Rodriguez from picking up the biggest win of his UFC career.

Nothing but respect from @BlessedMMA to @PanteraUFC 🤝 #UFCVegas42 https://t.co/rtvTIndum5

‘El Pantera’ threw everything that he had at Holloway, hitting him with some heavy combinations, his trademark wild flying and spinning strikes, and even took him down a couple of times. At points, it did feel like he’d land the killer blow to take the Hawaiian out.

While he didn’t manage that, after this performance there can be no question that Rodriguez is an elite fighter in the UFC’s featherweight division. He could easily find himself in a title bout in the near future, assuming he can win his next fight.

So while he may not have won last night, his performance still makes him a big winner overall. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for him to fight again.