What Is Yair Rodriguez’s Fighting Style? What Martial Art Does the UFC Featherweight Use?

Yair Rodriguez is set to take on Brian Ortega at UFC Mexico in a highly anticipated featherweight clash. Rodriguez is the former interim featherweight champion and has a prior history with Ortega. The pair faced each other back in 2022 in a bout that saw Rodriguez come out on top due to ‘T-City’ dislocating his shoulder in a grappling exchange in the first round.

‘El Pantera’ is known for his incredible striking and kicks that have seen him become a fan favorite due to the high-impact maneuvers he regularly pulls off inside the octagon! And ahead of his fight with Ortega, let’s take a look and explore all we know about his fighting style and martial arts background!

Yair Rodriguez is a black belt in Taekwondo

Yair Rodriguez was born in Mexico and started training in Taekwondo at the age of 5. He made his way into the UFC through ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” which led him to find a place in the promotion with his debut coming at UFC 180 at the show’s finale.

Rodriguez holds a black belt in Taekwondo which is evident by his highlight reel of impressive kicks and spinning attacks. He also holds the distinction of scoring the latest knockout in UFC history which occurred at 4:59 of the final round in his fight against Chan Sung Jung in 2018.

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As Rodriguez gears up for his upcoming fight, his martial arts background and unique fighting style continue to captivate audiences worldwide. But ahead of his fight against Ortega, ‘El Pantera’ has also put the newly crowned UFC featherweight champion on notice with his comments in a recent interview!

Rodriguez has got ‘El Matador’ in his crosshairs next

In the upcoming UFC Mexico City event, Yair Rodriguez is eyeing a victory over Brian Ortega to secure another shot at the featherweight title. Rodriguez is fueled by a strong desire to face the new champion, Ilia Topuria, whom he openly dislikes.

In a statement made during the media day for the event, he stated, “I would love to f*** him up. No, I don’t want to fight him, I want to f*** him up. There’s a f****** big difference on that, just to make that clear.”

His disdain for Topuria is evident as Rodriguez expressed his dislike bluntly, emphasizing his willingness to confront him anywhere, even in his own country. Despite acknowledging Topuria’s championship win, Rodriguez’s respect ends there, with no further compliments.

As the anticipation builds for Rodriguez’s bout with Ortega, his determination to secure a victory and pursue his feud with Topuria remains unwavering.

Read More: UFC Mexico: Brian Ortega Gets Advised to Avoid Striking Yair Rodriguez – “Stick to What You Are Good At”