5 possible next opponents for Yair Rodriguez
On Saturday, Yair Rodriguez lost via unanimous decision to former featherweight champion Max Holloway. While he did not get the outcome he wanted from the fight, Rodriguez's strong performance cemented his status as one of the top fighters in his division.
Losing to Max Holloway is an experience a number of the UFC's elite featherweights have shared. Rodriguez came much closer to beating 'Blessed' than most, with two of the judges scoring the fight 48-47.
The power of Holloway and Rodriguez is insane 🤯 #UFCVegas42 https://t.co/7GV2in1ner
If anything, his tightly contested loss may have helped Rodriguez increase his stock at 145 pounds. He can add this Fight of the Night performance to an impressive resume that has seen him beat the likes of Dan Hooker, B.J. Penn and 'The Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung.
With us now able to look ahead towards Yair Rodriguez's next fight, we can assume the Mexican will be matched up with another top contender. Rodriguez has earned the right to be in high-profile bouts with the division's best.
Whether it be a surging contender or a top fighter looking to rebound from a high-profile loss, here are five potential matchups for 'El Pantera'.
#5. Yair Rodriguez vs. Calvin Kattar
Calvin Kattar, like Yair Rodriguez, suffered a unanimous decision loss to Max Holloway last time out. The bout was a much more one-sided affair and as such, Kattar has likely fallen a little further from the title picture than Rodriguez as a result.
Most combined significant strikes landed in a single fight, UFC history:
1. Max Holloway (445) vs. Calvin Kattar (133) - 578
2. Holloway (290) vs. Brian Ortega (110) - 400
3. Holloway (230) vs. Yair Rodriguez (159) - 389
4. Holloway (181) vs. Dustin Poirier (178) - 359
However, Kattar has the chance to rectify that when he takes on Giga Chikadze in January 2022. Should Kattar be able to stop Chikadze's momentum and pick up the win, he would shoot right back up towards the top of the division.
If that were to happen, Kattar vs. Rodriguez would make a lot of sense. The two talented strikers are bound to put on an entertaining fight that could have real implications at the top of the featherweight division.
Kattar appears to be the perfect level of opponent for Rodriguez's next bout, as a win would put him back in a position to be fighting Max Holloway or Alexander Volkanovski.