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Max Holloway vs Yair Rodriguez bout coming this July
Dana White recently stated that a matchup between Holloway and Rodriguez is in the works for the main event slot of Fight Night on July 17 but the location itself has not been decided yet.
We have not seen Rodriguez in the Octagon since his decision win over Jeremy Stephens on October 18, 2019. He was set to face Zabit Magomedsharipov last August but had to pull out due to an injury. After that, he was given a six month suspension as he failed to attend a mandatory USADA test. With that rough patch behind him, it will be great to see him done the 4 ounce gloves as his electrifying blend of Tae Kwon Do and Muay Thai has been sorely missed.
Holloway Not One To Rest On His Laurels
Max Holloway is coming off one of the most outstanding performances in the Octagon, a boxing masterclass versus Calvin Kattar back in January. Holloway wants to remain active as Alexander Volkanovksi and Brian Ortega will coach opposite one another on the latest season of the The Ultimate Fighter. If Holloway chose to sit out he would miss the best part of a year so it makes sense that he would keep himself sharp in the meantime.
Holloway has had a legendary career, from his climb up the featherweight ranks, to finishing Jose Aldo in back to back fights, to his war with Dustin Poirier, and his stand out performances against Ortega and Kattar.
He pits all of his experience and momentum against a veteran of the UFC, Yair Rodriguez (8-1 in the UFC) who has put on dazzling performances with his KO of the Korean Zombie in the closing seconds of their fight and his finishes of BJ Penn and Andre Fili.
Comparatively, Max Holloway has a lot to lose while Yair “El Pantera” Rodriguez has everything to gain with a win against the Hawaiian. Holloway has struggled with strikers that favor kicks, fighters like Conor McGregor and Alexander Volkanovski.
On the other hand, Rodriguez is dangerous no matter what time it is on the clock due to his wild style. The Korean Zombie and Frankie Edgar both gave a clear path to victory against the Chihuahua native so Holloway’s high output style could have him in fits.
