UFC 211: Stipe Miocic vs. Junior dos Santos II

Yair Rodriguez Looks To Continue Rise: 'It's My Time And I'm Going For It'

Yair Rodriguez Looks To Continue Rise: 'It's My Time And I'm Going For It'

Rising UFC star Yair Rodriguez will need a victory over Frankie Edgar at UFC 211 to land the title shot he's aiming for.

May 11, 2017 by FloCombat Staff
Yair Rodriguez Looks To Continue Rise: 'It's My Time And I'm Going For It'
Yair Rodriguez is in a place difficult to categorize in his young career, but phenom status doesn't seem to be all too far off.

At 24 years old, most talented mixed martial artist would be painted with the prospect brush, but Rodriguez has already proven he's well beyond that marker. His six-straight victories since arriving to the UFC in 2014 have certainly been impressive, and "El Pantera" has looked anywhere from damn solid to "Holy sh*t" good over that stretch.

His recent drubbing of MMA legend B.J. Penn was certainly the biggest victory of his young career, but defeating the former two-division champion well past Hawaiian's prime only served to get him to the next big fight.

Therefore, Rodriguez has been caught in limbo between up-and-comer and certified title contender, and that's what his upcoming scrap with Frankie Edgar at UFC 211 is all about.

Rodriguez has championship ambitions and mixing it up with a former champion and relevant contender the likes of Edgar is the key to making that happen. In order for The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America winner to get where he's looking to go, Edgar is "The Answer" to that particular puzzle.

"I'll never ask for a guy. It's just not my style, but my coaches and my team, they strategically asked for [Edgar] because we think he's the best fight for us," Rodriguez told media in attendance for UFC 211 media day. "Why? Because he's the toughest one. Why is he the toughest one? First of all, Cub Swanson is my friend. Ricardo Lamas is my friend and Jeremy Stephens is tough. Then there is Frankie Edgar.

"All of those guys are tough, but I think Frankie Edgar is the only one who would put me right there for a title shot. If I want to go for a title shot, I have to go against the No. 2 in the world and that guy is Frankie Edgar. That's why we asked for him."

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The past year has been one experienced in the fastlane for the talented young featherweight. Following his highlight reel-generating knockout over Andre Fili at UFC 197 in April of 2016, Rodriguez found himself on the receiving end of a significant push from the organization he calls home.

Scheduled promotional spots and back-to-back victories in his next two outings have Rodriguez sitting as a star in the making, but there is a different goal where the fighter is concerned. The Mike Valle-trained fighter wants to become a world champion, and knowing Edgar is the only thing standing between him and that conversation moving forward has him fired up.

"I know I'm one fight away from fighting for the title shot...of course I'm motivated," Rodriguez said. "If you ask him remember how you feel when you were one fight away from your first title shot, I have that fire and hunger. I'm young, hungry and I want that. He already knows what he feels. It's my turn, it's my time and I'm going for it.

"Of course a title shot is what I want after this. I don't know if the UFC is going to give it to me or when, if I win this fight against Frankie on Saturday, but it's what I'm looking for. Why would I be here if I weren't looking for that? It's the only thing I'm looking for."






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