Featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez didn’t get exactly what he wanted from the UFC, but that won’t change the way he views the challenge in front of him.
The Mexican star was angling to fight champion Alexander Volkanovski but instead got an interim title fight against fellow top contender Josh Emmett. The matchup came together as the UFC ended up granting Volkanovski his wish to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title in an effort to become a two-division champion. Volkanovski fights Makhachev on Feb. 11 in the main event of UFC 284 in Australia. The card also features Rodriguez’s (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) interim title fight against Emmett (18-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC).
“Yeah, I’m happy independently of whatever opportunity would’ve presented itself,” Rodriguez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “It doesn’t matter if it’s for a belt or not. I always have to prepare myself against the best, and in this case the best for me is Josh Emmett. If I don’t, then I can get surprised in the fight.
