The world was waiting for this moment, but the fighting community didn’t really expect the fight between Yair Rodriguez and Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire to go down like it did. Of course, the fighting realm expected the ‘Pitbull’s UFC debut to be packed with action. But watching him lose via unanimous decision wasn’t on the agenda. The judges scored the fight 30-27 in favor of ‘El Pantera’ who proved his dominance against the former Bellator champion. But what’s next for Rodriguez? 

Well, during the conversation with Joe Rogan in the post-fight interview, the same question was thrown in front of ‘El Pantera’. That’s when he revealed that he wanted to fight at Noche UFC 320. Being of Mexican origin, that would indeed be the greatest pleasure for Rodriguez. But the surprising part was the revelation was that Hunter Campbell had previously promised him that he’d get a fight at UFC 320. 

Rodriguez said, “Now it’s time to focus on what’s next. Hunter Campbell, we talked over the phone. He promised me. He said, ‘If you win your next fight, title shot is next.’ Let’s do for Mexico, September. I want to fight for the title there. Whoever wins tonight, I wanna fight that guy in Mexico.” And the color commentator backed him up, claiming that he absolutely earned the title shot.

Of course, fighting Freire was a big deal for Rodriguez. He was once a dominant fighter at Bellator FC. Certainly not someone the Mexican could have taken lightly. So, how exactly did Rodriguez prepare for the bout? 

Yair Rodriguez reveals how he prepared for his UFC 314 fight

When Rogan asked Rodriguez about his preparation, he said, “I was just in the gym on time. I did my diet with the help of the UFC Performance Institute, Charles being my main nutritionist. And I was helping my body, you know, with nutrients, the best food, sleep quality, and meditation, visualization. And obviously with the best team. I couldn’t have done this without my team.”

That’s probably the reason why ‘El Pantera’ rightfully predicted ‘Pitbull’s moves. He knew that the fight would be tough, and he did picture the fight going a bit differently. The Mexican fighter claimed that he wanted to finish the fight in the first round, and that’s what he prepared for. But Freire had a lot of experience and was truly worthy of all the praise that he received. Nevertheless, Rodriguez did manage ot drop ‘Pitbull’ in the final round. And ultimately, won via decision.

What are your thoughts on Rodriguez’s demand? Would he really get to fight at UFC Noche? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.