Yair Rodriguez’s Nickname ‘El Pantera’: Meaning & Story Behind His Moniker

Several UFC fans might agree that the former UFC interim featherweight champion, Yair Rodriguez, is one of the most entertaining fighters on the entire roster. His superb speed and ability to pull strikes out of nowhere have often left fans bewildered. The 32-year-old’s backhand elbow that slept ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Night 139 bears testimony to this fact.

He and several UFC fans will probably be counting hours currently, awaiting UFC 314, when he welcomes Patricio Pitbull into the promotion. The Mexican star will look to get back in his winning ways. Since UFC 290, Yair Rodriguez hasn’t been able to find his footing, as he stands on a 2-fight losing streak. But since he’s one of the fighters in focus ahead of this weekend’s PPV, let’s get to know the 32-year-old a little better, especially the story behind his nickname, ‘El Pantera’.

Why is Yair Rodriguez called ‘El Pantera’?

Yair Rodriguez’s nickname of ‘El Pantera’ involves words of Spanish origin, which could be quite an unfamiliar thing for a lot of English-speaking UFC fans. But Spanish fans and fighters like Ilia Topuria will definitely know what it means. Well, ‘El Pantera’ simply means ‘The Panther’ in English. 

Monikers or nicknames are basically used to describe the attributes that a fighter showcases while they are inside the cage. He has the moniker ‘El Pantera’, especially because of his fighting style, which indicates the fact that the former interim champion has a fast and dangerous fighting style.

It was Rodriguez’s superb agility and speed that earned him this nickname. As already mentioned, he has stunned a number of his opponents with a few never-seen-before strikes. Rodriguez’s stupendous agility has made a number of fans wonder whether he’s some human incarnation of a panther. It also won’t be wrong to compare his high-flying and innovative style to a ‘Pantera’ while it is on the attack. The name also evokes the 90s metal band ‘Pantera’, and Rodriguez’s brand of striking is fitting imagery for their music.

Now, let us deviate from his nickname and take a look at the other facts that fans may not be aware of when it comes to Yair Rodriguez. Here’s what we know.

Other unknown facts about Yair Rodriguez

Before Yair Rodriguez made his way into the UFC back in 2014, when he was around 21 years old, the Mexican star was already an MMA champion, but in a regional promotion. He fought under the FMP, or Mexican Fighters Promotion, where he captured the featherweight belt on one occasion and even had one successful defense to his name. ‘El Pantera’ was also the winner of the inaugural season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America’.

Yair Rodriguez was always invested in fighting, and as such, didn’t go to college but completed high school. When he signed with the UFC, everyone wanted to know how it felt to be joining the world’s biggest MMA promotion. He would simply say that it’s just an opportunity to become great at what he does and help his loved ones along the way. “It gives me the opportunity to help my family and the opportunity to be a champion,” Rodriguez told UFC.com.

UFC 314 could be a step back into prominence for Yair Rodriguez because he needs a win to get himself back into the title conversation. But what do you think? Will he be able to hand Patricio Pitbull a loss on the latter’s UFC debut? Drop your comments below.