Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez will meet in a clash of featherweight contenders this weekend, headlining Saturday’s UFC Fight Night on Long Island.
Both men are out to bounce back from losses in their most recent outings, with Ortega having been outpointed by champion Alexander Volkanovski last September and Rodriguez having come up short against former title holder Max Holloway in November.
Ortega’s record also contains a loss to Holloway, from during the Hawaiian’s run as champion, and the American’s two failed title challenges likely mean he is at least a couple of wins away from another shot at the gold. Rodriguez, meanwhile, was reportedlly told by the UFC that a win against Ortega would secure him a title shot, with the Mexican having impressed against Holloway even in that points defeat.
Ortega (15-2, 1 No Contest) is a jiu-jitsu specialist who has honed his striking over time, while Rodriguez (13-3, 1 NC) is a versatile and dynamic striker who should represent an interesting foil for the Californian.
Here’s all you need to know.
When is it?
The event will take place on Saturday 16 July at the UBS Arena on Long Island.
The prelims will start at 4pm BST (8am PT, 10am CT, 11am ET), with the main card following at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET).
How can I watch it?
The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights.
In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass.
Odds
Ortega – 4/7
Rodriguez – 5/4
Full card
Main card
Brian Ortega vs Yair Rodriguez (featherweight)
Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs Amanda Lemos (women’s strawweight)
Li Jingliang vs Muslim Salikhov (welterweight)
Matt Schnell vs Sumudaerji (flyweight)
Shane Burgos vs Charles Jourdain (featherweight)
Lauren Murphy vs Miesha Tate (women’s flyweight)
Prelims
Punahele Soriano vs Dalcha Lungiambula (middleweight)
Ricky Simon vs Jack Shore (bantamweight)
Bill Algeo vs Herbert Burns (featherweight)
Dustin Jacoby vs Da-Un Jung (light heavyweight)
Dwight Grant vs Dustin Stoltzfus (middleweight)
Jessica Penne vs Emily Ducote (women’s strawweight)
