It wasn’t long ago that Yair Rodriguez was earmarked as the UFC’s next featherweight star.
A 25-year-old with Mexican roots and a flashy, fan-friendly fighting style, Rodriguez had been hailed as one of the premier rising talents at 145 pounds since he entered the UFC in 2014 fresh off a victorious run on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America. That vast untapped potential made it all the more stunning last week when the UFC abruptly cut “El Pantera” from the organization. At the time, UFC president Dana White explained the decision as a response to Rodriguez allegedly turning down two fights for UFC 227: One against veteran contender Ricardo Lamas, and another against fellow prospect Zabit Magomedsharipov.