Behind the bright lights of the Octagon and the roaring crowds lies a world of relentless struggle for professional UFC fighters. While fans witness the glory of fight night, few see the battles waged long before a fighter steps into the cage. The journey often begins in humble beginnings. Many fighters come from broken homes, financial hardship, or difficult environments. One fighter who embodies that struggle is former UFC interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez.

The 32-year-old is one of the skillful fighters in the UFC and also a former interim champion in his division. However, his road to fighting at the highest level was marked by several setbacks and struggles he endured on his way up. But what struggles did he face in his career? Let us find out about it below.

Yair Rodriguez opens up on the problems he faced before making it big in the UFC

Yair Rodríguez, known as ‘El Pantera’, has carved out a reputation as one of the most dynamic and unorthodox fighters in the UFC. Born in Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico, Rodríguez made his UFC debut in 2014 after winning The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America. His striking skills, honed through years of training in taekwondo, quickly set him apart from the rest. From the outset, his ability to mix acrobatic kicks with fluid movement made him a dangerous proposition for anyone facing him.

Just like most professions MMA also comes with its own share of risks and Rodriguez was pretty much aware of the fact and never gave up on his dreams. He recently opened up about the struggles he faced in his journey with one of the biggest problems he faced was the lack of belief from his friends and the people around him. Backyard Violence shared a clip of his chat on the Monkey Tilt show on their Instagram channel.

While speaking to the host he pointed out how people made fun of him and his dreams. He said, “I used to have all these guys making fun of me some other helping me out buying stuff for me. They don’t get it and they laugh at you and they used to laugh at me like hey when are you going to be on TV. I don’t know maybe one day not now but maybe one day”. Furthermore, The 32-year-old also opened up his cancer scare before one the biggest fight of his career.

He pointed out what the doctors actually said, “We found out that you have a cyst in your liver and we think it can be cancer.” Despite being warned of the problem the Mexican fighter decided to fight and ended up with one of the most spectacular highlight-reel finishes of Chan-Sung Jung at UFC Fight Night 139. While Rodríguez has faced challenges, including injuries and long layoffs, his career has been marked by resilience, with him even clinching the interim featherweight title at UFC 284. However, there was once a time when the 32-year-old was temporarily cut from the UFC. But why did it happen? Let us find out the reason below.

A closer look as to why Yair Rodriguez was removed from the UFC

Yair Rodríguez, one of the most electrifying fighters in the UFC, experienced a tumultuous period in his career when he was briefly released from the organization in 2018. The decision shocked fans and raised questions about what had gone wrong between the talented featherweight and the UFC. It all started with the UFC, eager to keep Rodríguez active and test him against the best, offered him a fight against Zabit Magomedsharipov, a then-rising star in the featherweight division.

However, Rodríguez reportedly declined the matchup, citing disagreements over timing and opponent suitability. In the eyes of UFC President Dana White, this refusal, combined with previous delays in Rodríguez’s activity, suggested a lack of willingness to compete. During the UFC Fight Night 130 post-fight presser, company CEO Dana White didn’t hold back from letting everyone know why he let Rodriguez go from the promotion – “If you don’t want to fight, this isn’t the place to be. There’s plenty of places out there that will take Yair Rodriguez and would love to have him, and would sign him.” Fortunately, the separation didn’t last long and Rodríguez and the UFC eventually reconciled, and he re-signed with the organization just months later.

For Yair Rodríguez, it was a turning point that ultimately reaffirmed his commitment to being one of the best featherweights in the world. Today, Rodríguez remains a key figure in the division, with fans admiring his resilience and ability to overcome setbacks. Can he win the title next in his career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.