Yair Rodriguez stepped into the cage on Saturday night with only five professional fights and less than $400 to his name. Standing across from him was Charles Rosa, one of the most intriguing prospects in the featherweight division.
Looking across the open sea of Octagon canvas, Rodriguez saw opportunity where most see fear. He was competing on the main card of UFC 188, a pay-per-view card in Mexico City headlined by Cain Velasquez. With bright lights, cameras and celebrities in his peripheral, Rodriguez stormed forward like a seasoned veteran looking to steal the show.
The MMA world soon learned what all the buzz surrounding The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America winner was about. The rising 22-year-old star looked like he was in The Matrix, wowing fans with jumping switch kicks and an aggressive closed guard.
[#UFC188 Spoilers] Yair Rodriguez is my new fav. He's @JonnyBones without the felony charges. pic.twitter.com/jVHPDo5kcL
— Kevin Ryder (@thekevinryder) June 14, 2015
Rosa appeared to be outmatched technically in all areas of the fight. On his feet, Rodriguez kept Rosa guessing with feints and switch-striking. When the fight hit the ground, Rosa looked like he was tangling with an octopus with all of the guard movement and submission attempts.
This isn’t to say Rosa didn’t have his moments. He hung tough in the stand-up exchanges and even managed to ride out a bit of the clock in control on the ground. It was a close fight that ended up earning Fight of the Night honors. Rosa’s toughness convinced one judge to score the fight in his favor, but the other two judges saw the fight in favor of Rodriguez.
Rodriguez walked away with a $50,000 bonus and a win over a highly respected opponent in his home country. It was not a bad way to end a weekend that began with less than $400 in his pocket, according to a post-fight interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani:
I think less [than $400] bro. It means so much for me bro. I’ve been working hard. My last fight was in November. It’s a long time to fight this fight, but I’m so proud that I could be here and that means so much for me. That just Dana White just called me to talk with me and say, “That was a great fight.” And I’m just so happy. I’m going to keep moving forward and keep training hard.
There was a lot to like about Rodriguez’s performance, especially when considering he hasn’t even scratched the surface of his prime skills yet. UFC commentator Joe Rogan even threw out comparisons to Jon Jones and Anthony Pettis.
While it’s a little early to be doling out those kinds of compliments, there is indeed something special about Rodriguez. Perhaps we unknowingly witnessed a preview of the featherweight division’s next breakout star.
Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.
