Yair Rodriguez took on Josh Emmett in the co-main event at UFC 284 with the interim featherweight title on the line.
Rodriguez found success with his leg kicks from the opening bell and even visibly hurt Emmett with a body kick in the opening round. While Emmett increased his output later in the round and dropped ‘El Pantera’, he was unable to land much damage.
Rodriguez once again came out as the early aggressor in round 2 with a huge body kick that landed flush. ‘El Pantera’ wobbled Emmett with an elbow shortly followed by a flying knee that took the action to the ground. While Rodriguez ended up in the bottom position, he locked in a slick triangle that forced the tap at 4:19 of round 2.
UFC Twitter heaped praise on Rodriguez after his clinical interim title victory over ‘CC0’. Former title challenger Brian Ortega even called out ‘El Pantera’ for a clash in the immediate future. ‘T-City’ wrote:
“I’ll see you soon congrats”
Former heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou also lauded Rodriguez’s win while giving due credit to Emmet. ‘The Predator’ wrote:
“Yair Rodriguez is always fun to watch. Big up to Josh! Congrats Champ 🏆
More reactions to the UFC 284 clash between Yair Rodriguez vs. Josh Emmett
Yair Rodriguez’s UFC 284 win over Josh Emmett made him the second-ever Mexican fighter to win a title in UFC history, after Brandon Moreno.
Several fighters lauded ‘El Pantera’ for bringing Mexico into the spotlight. Megan Anderson wrote:
“Viva Mexico!!! Yair put on an incredible performance and looked AMAZING!”
Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, also of Hispanic descent, added the Mexican flag in his appreciation post.
Meanwhile, UFC bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling brought attention to Yair Rodriguez’s speed and diversity. ‘Funkmaster’ wrote:
“Wow! Beautiful submission finish! Emmett was bringing heat, but the speed of those kicks man! I was saying it before that JE needed a early KO because the speed and variety will cause trouble.”
Former UFC champions Anthony Pettis and Henry Cejudo also lauded Rodriguez’s clinical performance.
Other fighters like Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson and Michael Chiesa also noticed ‘El Pantera’s’ diverse skillset.
More: UFC 284
