Joe Rogan has much to say about Yair Rodriguez’s fight skills in the octagon.
Rogan has been around for over three years, commenting on multiple talents each week. When he isn’t busy observing the octagon, he shares his opinions on his Podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience.” Furthermore, he recently found Yair Rodriguez’s fight skills worth mentioning.
So, who is this fighter, and what’s his claim to fame? Tag along to find out!
Rodriguez is one of the UFC’s most inventive attackers. Moreover, he has several highlight-reel victories, including his Roundhouse kick knockout of Andre Fili. Also, his epic elbow knockout of Chan Sung Jung is a worthy mention.
Rodriguez is a Mexican fighter who currently performs in UFC’s Featherweight division. He has been around since 2014 and has won the Ultimate Fighter Latin America featherweight tournament.
In October 2011, at Mexican Fighter Promotions 8, Rodriguez competed in his first MMA match professionally. He defeated Jonatan Guzmán by unanimous decision. Later, he squared off against Carlos Ricardo at The Supreme Cage Fighting 1 in March 2012. He was submitted in the third round with a triangle choke. After that, in December 2012, at Mexican Fighter Promotions 13, Rodriguez faced off against Luis Roberto Herrera. In the opening round, he was knocked out.
Next, Rodrguez took on Édgar Juárez as his next opponent at Mexican Fighter Promotions 2013. By way of a first-round knockout, he prevailed. Then in 2014, at NP: High Altitude Face Off 6, he faced Angelo Durante in his final match before joining the UFC.
And this is where Rogan saw his unique skills!
At UFC 284 in February last year, Rodriguez (15-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) defeated Josh Emmett via tap-out to win the interim featherweight championship. Rogan was highly impressed by the fighter and asked if people had seen his fights. He even went as far as to call him “one of the wildest motherf*ckers who ever fought in MMA.” He detailed Rodriguez’s moves in the cage, commending his crazy kicks. Additionally, Rogan mentioned Rodriguez’s sophisticated taekwondo background. But this never stopped “El Pantera” from pulling off the wildest moves on his opponents.
Then Rogan highlighted Rodriguez’s fight against BJ. Penn. He went into detail on Rodriguez’s 360 Roundhouse kick, saying he f*cked BJ. Penn with the move. He mentioned how El Pantera first struck BJ. Penn with the right and then took an air shot at him from the left. Rogan also called Rodriguez a beast and praised his dynamic performance and striking.
Furthermore, Rodriguez’s face-off against Josh Emmett also caught Rogan’s eye. He highlighted it, acknowledging Rodriguez’s triangle choke in the fight, saying he is nasty on the ground. Rogan finally concluded that Rodriguez was “f*cking wicked.” Additionally, he is tough to figure out because his moves are different. Moreover, Rogan called him a “f*cking genius” for his performances.
On July 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Rodriguez will seek to unify his interim belt against champ Alexander Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC). What are your predictions for this bout? Vote in the comments section to let us know!
