UFC Fight Night 103's Yair Rodriguez didn’t ask to fight B.J. Penn, but will treat him like anyone else

MESA, Ariz. – For a brief moment this past year, Yair Rodriguez crossed paths with B.J. Penn.

Penn was training at Rodriguez’s adopted gym, the famed Jackson-Wink MMA academy in Albuquerque, N.M. Penn had relocated there in advance of a comeback that wound up thrice delayed.

A shadowboxing exercise was called out. Rodriguez (8-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC), a little starstruck, introduced himself.

“I didn’t want to tell him (I fought for the UFC),” he told MMAjunkie in advance of his UFC Fight Night 103 headliner opposite Penn (16-10-2 MMA, 12-9-2 UFC). “I’d look like too much of a fan.”

Not so long, that was the only relationship he’d had with “The Prodigy.” He’d watched Penn on TV and wanted to follow in his footsteps. Eventually, he did, traveling from his native Mexico to the U.S. to embark on a career in MMA. He just didn’t want to advertise that.

Penn certainly didn’t know. He mistook Rodriguez and another training partner for Middle Eastern or Indian. Then they got to work. The whole encounter lasted just a few rounds.

“He was a pretty amazing partner to work with,” Rodriguez said.

Penn knows who Rodriguez is now. The young fighter is standing between him and a successful comeback, two years after a third straight loss sent him back into retirement.

Once an obscure talent, Rodriguez is an honorable mention in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA featherweight rankings and the owner of a five-fight UFC winning streak.

Despite his personal history, Rodriguez said he won’t treat Penn any differently than other opponents. He’ll just try to come out on top.

“I have nothing against him personally – this is just a sport, a competition,” he said.

In pre-fight interviews for the fight, which headlines Sunday’s FS1-televised main card at Talking Stick Arena in Phoenix, Penn has advertised Rodriguez’s team as status-hungry opportunists, eager to capitalize on the legend he’s built.

Rodriguez, though, said he never singled out the UFC Hall of Famer.

“I didn’t ask for the fight,” Rodriguez said. “I know he’s saying that. I don’t know why he’s saying that. He’s someone I respect a lot, but I’m never going to ask for a fighter or a fight.

“The UFC calls you and asks you, do you want to fight this guy? You say yes or no – that’s it. I’m never going to ask for a fight.”

Whatever the case might be, both fighters said yes. The next time they step into the cage, it will all be real.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 103, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.