Fight Log
Loading Fight Log...
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Yair Rodriguez See More
The best MMA bets, top DFS picks across multiple sites, and predictions for this weekend's UFC 314 card are live on RotoWire before Saturday's international event.
UFC 314 picks are live on RotoWire. See who the team of MMA contributors envision winning every fight on the pay-per-view card.
The top UFC betting and DFS plays for this weekend's UFC 314 card are up, as well as breakdowns of betting and lineup strategy, plus predictions for the entire event.
UFC 314 DFS picks are set for Saturday, April 5, with breakdowns of the top fights on DraftKings and predictions for the key matchups on the card.
UFC Vegas 105 DFS picks are set for Saturday, April 5, with breakdowns of the top fights on DraftKings and predictions for the key matchups on the card.
More Fantasy News
Welcomes Pitbull to UFC
Rodriguez will take on UFC newcomer Patricio Freire in a featherweight matchup at UFC 314 on April 12 in Miami, according to UFC President Dana White.
ANALYSIS
Rodriguez will be over a year in between fights by the time the cage doors close here, and while he's dropped back-to-back fights, the former interim champion will still represent a stiff test for Freire (more commonly known as "Pitbull") in his UFC debut. Rodriguez is nearly five years younger and will enter with five-inch advantages in both height and reach. Freire still deserves some respect as a former Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion and one of the best fighters to compete under that banner, but it would hardly be surprising for Rodriguez to enter as a betting favorite.
Rodriguez will be over a year in between fights by the time the cage doors close here, and while he's dropped back-to-back fights, the former interim champion will still represent a stiff test for Freire (more commonly known as "Pitbull") in his UFC debut. Rodriguez is nearly five years younger and will enter with five-inch advantages in both height and reach. Freire still deserves some respect as a former Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion and one of the best fighters to compete under that banner, but it would hardly be surprising for Rodriguez to enter as a betting favorite.
Fades following fast start
Rodriguez lost to Brian Ortega via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 0:58 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Mexico City.
ANALYSIS
What a disaster. Entering as a -150 favorite, Rodriguez started out on fire. For about four minutes. He battered Ortega in the early going and nearly earned the stoppage before everything fell apart. Yair closed Round 1 with Ortega on top of him and spent most of Round 2 in the same position. Rodriguez gave up a hysterically easy takedown in the early seconds of Round 3 and was tapping out moments later. To say this was a concerning performance would be a massive understatement. You could see the tide turning, and not only did Yair have no answers, but he played right into the strengths of his opponent -- an opponent, by the way, who hadn't fought since the first time the two met in July 2022. Rodriguez's chances of impacting the title picture at 145 pounds moving forward are on life support.
What a disaster. Entering as a -150 favorite, Rodriguez started out on fire. For about four minutes. He battered Ortega in the early going and nearly earned the stoppage before everything fell apart. Yair closed Round 1 with Ortega on top of him and spent most of Round 2 in the same position. Rodriguez gave up a hysterically easy takedown in the early seconds of Round 3 and was tapping out moments later. To say this was a concerning performance would be a massive understatement. You could see the tide turning, and not only did Yair have no answers, but he played right into the strengths of his opponent -- an opponent, by the way, who hadn't fought since the first time the two met in July 2022. Rodriguez's chances of impacting the title picture at 145 pounds moving forward are on life support.
Gets bout with Ortega
Rodriguez is scheduled to face Brian Ortega in a featherweight co-main event fight at the UFC's Feb. 24 event in Mexico City, Aaron Bronsteter of TSN.ca reports.
ANALYSIS
Rodriguez will get a long-awaited rematch against Ortega after he defeated the latter via TKO (injury) back in July 2022. Ortega suffered a shoulder injury during a grappling exchange when the two first met and eventually underwent surgery to repair the issue and has not fought since. Meanwhile, Rodriguez will compete for the first time since suffering a title loss at the hands of Alexander Volkanovski via TKO (punches) at UFC 290 in Las Vegas back in July. The two will be involved in a five-round co-main event, as Rodriguez could be in line for another title shot with a win over Ortega in a few months' time.
Rodriguez will get a long-awaited rematch against Ortega after he defeated the latter via TKO (injury) back in July 2022. Ortega suffered a shoulder injury during a grappling exchange when the two first met and eventually underwent surgery to repair the issue and has not fought since. Meanwhile, Rodriguez will compete for the first time since suffering a title loss at the hands of Alexander Volkanovski via TKO (punches) at UFC 290 in Las Vegas back in July. The two will be involved in a five-round co-main event, as Rodriguez could be in line for another title shot with a win over Ortega in a few months' time.
Comes up short in quest for title
Rodriguez came up short in his quest for the UFC Featherweight Championship on Saturday, falling to Alexander Volkanovski via TKO (punches) at 4:19 of Round 3 at UFC 290 in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Plenty of things need to go right in order to upset an all-world fighter like Volkanovski. If even one thing goes wrong -- like how poorly Rodriguez's takedown defense was here -- it's all over. Yair gave up a whopping seven takedowns on a dozen tries. That turned into 7:13 worth of control time for the champ, essentially ended his shot at pulling the upset. Yair's last four wins have come against The Korean Zombie, Jeremy Stephens, Brian Ortega and Josh Emmett. All four are excellent opponents, but none are on the same level of Volkanovski and Max Holloway, Yair's two most recent defeats. In short, Rodriguez needs to figure out a way to defeat the very best the division has to offer if he truly hopes to impact the title picture moving forward.
Plenty of things need to go right in order to upset an all-world fighter like Volkanovski. If even one thing goes wrong -- like how poorly Rodriguez's takedown defense was here -- it's all over. Yair gave up a whopping seven takedowns on a dozen tries. That turned into 7:13 worth of control time for the champ, essentially ended his shot at pulling the upset. Yair's last four wins have come against The Korean Zombie, Jeremy Stephens, Brian Ortega and Josh Emmett. All four are excellent opponents, but none are on the same level of Volkanovski and Max Holloway, Yair's two most recent defeats. In short, Rodriguez needs to figure out a way to defeat the very best the division has to offer if he truly hopes to impact the title picture moving forward.
Looking to erase interim tag
Rodriguez has verbally agreed to face Alexander Volkanovski in a unification bout for the UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 290 on July 8 in Las Vegas, Brett Okamoto of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
Rodriguez has been cruising of late, going 4-1 in his last five fights with the company. Opportunity knocked for the Mexico native back in February, as then-featherweight champion Volkanovski moved up to lightweight in attempt to become a two-division champion. Volkanovski fell short in a valiant effort against top pound-for-pound fighter Islam Makhachev, but his time away opened the door for Rodriguez to claim the 145-pound belt in an interim capacity with a submission victory over Josh Emmett. Now, once the papers are officially signed, the belt will become unified, and Rodriguez projects as a significant betting underdog once this proposed main-event matchup takes place. Rodriguez also technically needs a physician's clearance to fight after being handed a 180-day medical suspension from the February fight with Emmett. Should everything line up as planned, both men profile as high-volume strikers, but Volkanovski's wrestling game could set him apart here and allow him to negate Rodriguez's five-inch height advantage. Staying on the feet will be key for Yair, who sports just a 63 percent takedown defense in the UFC.
Rodriguez has been cruising of late, going 4-1 in his last five fights with the company. Opportunity knocked for the Mexico native back in February, as then-featherweight champion Volkanovski moved up to lightweight in attempt to become a two-division champion. Volkanovski fell short in a valiant effort against top pound-for-pound fighter Islam Makhachev, but his time away opened the door for Rodriguez to claim the 145-pound belt in an interim capacity with a submission victory over Josh Emmett. Now, once the papers are officially signed, the belt will become unified, and Rodriguez projects as a significant betting underdog once this proposed main-event matchup takes place. Rodriguez also technically needs a physician's clearance to fight after being handed a 180-day medical suspension from the February fight with Emmett. Should everything line up as planned, both men profile as high-volume strikers, but Volkanovski's wrestling game could set him apart here and allow him to negate Rodriguez's five-inch height advantage. Staying on the feet will be key for Yair, who sports just a 63 percent takedown defense in the UFC.