Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez headlines UFC Fight Night card on July 17
An important featherweight fight between top contenders Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez headlines the UFC Fight Night card on July 17.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report the matchup, which pits the UFC featherweight division’s No. 1 contender in Holloway against the No. 3 contender in Rodriguez. The fight is set for five rounds and it headlines the July 17 card that also features the return of Miesha Tate against Marion Reneau, as well as a lightweight bout between Islam Makhachev and Thiago Moises.
Oh boy. Here we go. Five round main event, July 17. Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA vs. Yair Rodriguez (@panteraufc), per Dana White. The self proclaimed best boxer in MMA returns. pic.twitter.com/qCKbC3YmM4
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) May 27, 2021
Oh boy. Here we go. Five round main event, July 17. Max Holloway ( @BlessedMMA vs. Yair Rodriguez ( @panteraufc ), per Dana White. The self proclaimed best boxer in MMA returns.
Holloway (22-6) is coming off of a stunning performance in January when he boxed up Calvin Kattar for 25 minutes in one of the most lopsided fights in UFC history. Holloway set a record in the fight as he landed 445 significant strikes in the fight. It was an amazing performance and most fans and media expected “Blessed” to fight for the belt in his next outing. However, with UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski now coaching The Ultimate Fighter 29 against Brian Ortega, Holloway had to wait too long to get the title shot, and he decided to take this fight with Rodriguez instead, which is a great matchup for the fans on paper between two elite, high-level strikers.
Rodriguez (13-2, 1 NC) was last seen in October 2019 when he won a decision over Jeremy Stephens. He has been out ever since then due to a combination of injuries and a USADA whereabouts suspension that led to a proposed bout with Zabit Magomesharipov falling through. With that fight not happening, the UFC quickly pivoted to book Rodriguez against Holloway in his comeback fight.
Who do you think takes this featherweight bout between Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez?
