MIAMI – Former UFC featherweight interim champion Yair Rodriguez acknowledges Alexander Volkanovski as the 145-pound GOAT, and can't wait to prove himself against the newly crowned champion.
Rodriguez (20-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) took his first shot against Volkanovski (27-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC) at UFC 290 in a title unification bout. Although "El Pantera" came up short in that fight, he remains confident that his game has elevated to new heights since their first meeting in 2023.
Both men competed at UFC 314. On the main card, Rodriguez defeated a debuting Patricio Freire by unanimous decision, while Volkanovski won by the same method in the main event against Diego Lopes to reclaim the vacant featherweight title.