Yair Rodriguez talks potential move to lightweight ahead of interim featherweight title bout against Josh Emmett at UFC 284
Yair Rodriguez is set to feature in his first championship fight in the co-main of UFC 284, against Josh Emmett for the interim featherweight title. The victor will earn a shot at undisputed gold against reigning 145-pound king Alexander Volkanovski, who is set to headline the upcoming pay-per-view.
'El Pantera' has been fighting in the UFC since 2014, competing in the featherweight division. Interestingly, the Mexican foresees an eventual move up to the lightweight division down the line.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Yair Rodriguez said:
"I think as I'm getting older, I think that's more realistic. Every year that passes, you know. So probably yeah, it's gonna be one day where I decide to go to 155 pounds. It's gonna be a lot easier on my body, because of course, my age, I need to understand that. And I probably do a lot better in that division."
Wisely acknowledging the detrimental effects of cutting too much weight, Rodriguez also spoke about the weight-cutting struggles that fighters endure:
"It's just that was a struggle for anybody trying to make weight. It's hard, you know, I dropped like 35 to 40 pounds every time I'm gonna fight. So that's all that I have to lose. I know I don't seem heavy, I'm not. I'm kind of lean and tall, it's interesting because it takes a lot of work to get to 145 pounds. I never missed weight before and I'm not planning to do it ever. That's the first job to do."
Watch Yair Rodriguez's full interview below:
Yair Rodriguez weighs in on the Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski title fight
The UFC 284 main event will feature a blockbuster fight between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski for the lightweight strap. Volkanovski is pursuing champ-champ status, while Makhachev is looking to claim the Australian's top spot atop the pound-for-pound rankings.
While Yair Rodriguez doesn't have a clear favorite in the fight, he hopes Volkanovski wins so he can potentially prove himself against a two-division champion. In the same interview with TMZ Sports, 'El Pantera' said:
"Whomever is better on the night is going to win. But for me, there is more chances to fight Alexander Volkanovski. So if he goes in there and surprises the world and finishes Islam or wins the fight, it will be a bigger achievement for me if I get to fight him because I will beat the two-time champion. If you ask me, I'm going with Volk, hopefully he wins."
Alexander Volkanovski has already defended his featherweight strap four times, twice against former champion Max Holloway. After the Aussie called for a shot at the lightweight title last year, the UFC put together an interim title fight between No.2-ranked Yair Rodriguez and No.5-ranked Josh Emmett.
Irrespective of what happens in the UFC 284 headliner, Rodriguez will get a shot at Volkanovski if he emerges victorious in the co-headliner next weekend.