Yair Rodríguez desires to remind UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski of the contenders he needs to be going through off in opposition to earlier than he makes an attempt to grow to be a two-division champion.
Following his fourth profitable protection—a unanimous resolution over Max Holloway at UFC 276—Volkanovski instructed the remainder of the featherweight division that he needed to see a ‘clear No. 1 contender’ earlier than he returns. Fights similar to Calvin Kattar vs. Josh Emmett, Yair Rodríguez vs. Brian Ortega, and Calvin Kattar vs. Arnold Allen have been scheduled, however their outcomes left a lot to be desired. Emmett obtained a controversial cut up resolution, whereas Rodríguez and Allen noticed their headliners finish after unlucky accidents suffered by their opponents.
With none of these fighters getting a stand-out win that may warrant a championship alternative, the ‘Nice’ has determined to pursue newly topped UFC light-weight champion Islam Makhachev for his subsequent Octagon look. Nevertheless, not everybody appears very completely happy together with his resolution to maneuver up now.
As Volkanovski and Makhachev exchanged phrases on social media over their potential combat, ‘El Pantera’ chimed in to name out the Metropolis Kickboxing product for UFC 284 subsequent yr.
“Hey [Alexander Volkanovski], are you a person of your phrase? We had a chat in Dallas. Everybody is aware of I’m subsequent,” wrote Rodríguez.
The ‘speak’ Rodríguez referred to stemmed from a quick lodge run-in between him and Volkanovski when each fighters have been on the town for UFC 277 this previous July. On the time, the champion was nonetheless coping with the damaged hand he suffered within the aforementioned combat in opposition to Holloway. Although understanding of his plight, the No. 2 featherweight was clear that he ought to get the primary shot at Volkanovski when he recovered.
“What’s in my thoughts proper now’s combating Alexander Volkanovski,” mentioned Rodríguez (video supplied by MMA Preventing). “And that’s all the time in my thoughts.”
Sadly for Rodríguez, assuming the Makhachev vs. Volkanovski combat stays on monitor, his title shot might not come for some time.
